She's A Lady
by AugustApollo
Summary: How far would you go for family and friendship? When an uprising abducts one of their own, Edmund and the rest of the Pevensies must make a unique sacrifice that may just cause a civil war in Narnia. EdmundxOC
1. Chapter 1

The sound of steel on steel rang through the garden of a newly restored Cair Paravel as two soldiers swung their swords at each other. King Edmund was breathing heavily, his heart pounding hard against his full body armor. He stepped back and eyed his opponent through his helmet. The other soldier was also dressed in full body armor. Every inch was covered except for the gap in the helmet, slightly shaped like a crescent or a frown, that showed hazel green eyes looking intensely at the Just King.

With a growl escaping his lips, Edmund swung again, his movements quick and strong. He spun his blade swiftly above his head and lunged at the other but his opponent countered him with equal strength. There was a sense of grace surrounding them as they both moved so poised and precise. It appeared to be an even battle until the soldier moved a few seconds too quickly for Edmund, knocking his sword from his grip.

The silver hit the ground with a dull thud as the dark-haired King speedily stepped back to avoid being sliced down the middle. He kept a certain distance from the other fighter, cautious of the blade. The soldier charged at the king, and suddenly, it was all a blur until Edmund's head hit the grass with a light thud. His feet had been knocked out from under him and he felt a weight pressed to the metal on his chest. Edmund glared at the hard green eyes staring back at him as the soldier raised the sword, ready to strike.

"That's enough."

A voice broke through the concentration of both warriors. Peter, stood on the white marble steps of the castle, dressed in a dark blue and gold tunic, had come to check on his celebration of the restoration of Cair Paravel was to start very soon. Guests have already started arriving yet King Edmund The Just was nowhere to be found.

"Don't kill him before Susan cuts the ribbon. She wouldn't like that." Said the High King, amusement evident in his tone.

A rumble was heard from the soldier towering over Edmund. This rumble quickly turned into light laughter as the soldier pulled the helmet off. Her face was pale but pink as she breathed heavily, her hair falling in waves just below her shoulder and her green eyes were soft this time, unlike how it was during their fight. She offered a hand to Edmund, who gladly took it, laughing as well.

"I wasn't gonna kill him." She said in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Yet." She added with a mischievous grin to Edmund.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he replied, giving her a light push on the shoulder. The two kept pushing and shoving each other and Peter shook his head at the two with a smile.

"Hey, hey!" he called out, waving his gold crown at them.

"We need you inside, King Edmund." He stressed, although still smiling widely.

"Oh, he'll be there alright." Replied the girl, giving Edmund one last shove.

Edmund picked up his sword and placed it in its sheath dramatically, teasing his brother. Peter simply chuckled, rolled his eyes at them before placing his crown on his head again and said

"Thank you, Avalon."

Avalon and Edmund made their way back to a wooden bench which rested beneath a giant oak tree. There, their personal items were stowed away including a jug of water. Avalon offered it to the boy as she tied her dark hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon. Taking a drink, Edmund watched her as she did this and thought of how they became friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, guys! This is, by the way, my first fan fiction. I'd really appreciate reviews so I'll know what to improve. Enjoy!

Avalon and Edmund made their way back to a wooden bench which rested beneath a giant oak tree. There, their personal items were stowed away including a jug of water. Avalon offered it to the boy as she tied her dark hair up in a ponytail with a ribbon. Taking a drink, Edmund watched her as she did this and thought of how they became friends.

After the defeat of Miraz, Narnia started to prosper again under the reign of Kings and Queens of Old and King Caspian. Its citizens, Telmarines and Narnians alike looked to the future with hope, especially after the marriage of Queen Susan the Gentle and King Caspian the Seafarer. Nothing more inspired the two races to live in unity than the bond of their King and Queen.

Edmund took the backseat once more, letting Peter and Caspian take the reins and choosing to be the calm, level-headed diplomat and just ruler that he is known to be, only stepping in when one of them had a clouded judgment or was away. He instead devoted his time to training soldiers and charity work with Lucy.

While his older siblings and Caspian dedicated their time to reaching other lands and establishing laws, Edmund and the Valiant Queen spent their efforts on being one with their people and getting to know this new world they were in; they became the bridge between the old and the new, the peasants and the royal family. This division of work between the six rulers resulted to a swift and peaceful recovery of Narnia.

A year of peace passed. Edmund was alone, riding his horse along the beach below the then-ruins of Cair Paravel when he spotted a figure on the sand, waves rushing back and forth over it. He hurried to it and found it to be a girl, dressed in a floral dress, kind of like what Susan used to wear in England. She was lying face down and unconscious., absolutely drenched.

Edmund immediately pulled her out of the water and checked for signs of life, Feeling a faint pulse, he pushed down on her chest rhythmically, pumping the water out of her and praying hard to Aslan that she would live. He didn't know her, but he had to save her. After a few minutes, she gasped hard and coughed up a lot of water. Edmund, filled with relief, put his arms around her, smoothing her hair and whispered

"You're safe. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay." She shook in his arms and he wrapped his cloak around her.

When she gathered her wits, she inquired about where she was and who he was in a soft voice.

"I'm Edmund." He said, carrying her unto his horse.

"You're in Narnia"

At this, her green eyes lit up with confusion. But fatigue was getting the best of her.

"I'll explain everything later. Rest." The dark-haired boy said, leading the horse and the girl back home.

* * *

><p>Blue and gold. Those were the first colors she saw when she opened her eyes. She found herself on an enormous bed, enveloped by soft, warm sheets, supported by cloud-like mattresses and pillows. The ceiling above her was painted a deep blue with gold streaks spiraling around and around, like shooting stars across a night sky. She plucked up the strength to sit up and surveyed the scene around her.<p>

She was in a spacious room, elegant, yet simply furnished. The bed was on the south left side of the room, the door to the northern right side. There were wooden tables on both sides of the bed with a black lamp, a regal-looking desk was positioned near a wall directly opposite the bed. The entire left side of the room was glass, partly covered by sheer white curtains with glass doors opened as an entrance to the terrace outside. She could see evergreen trees and mountains far away with the sun high in the clear sky through the glass panes.

She ran her fingers thoughtfully through her hair, recalling the events that led up to that moment.

"I was on a beach, then there was a boy. Yes, a boy," she thought, closing her eyes, trying to grasp the memory.

"Edward, was it? It was definitely an E. Ed...Ed...Edmund! Yes, Edmund. And he had a horse. But what came after that?" She furiously shook her head, remembering nothing.

Then, two girls, one looked about her age while the other was quite significantly younger, entered the room.

"You're up." Said the older girl with a delicate smile.

"We were quite worried about you." Murmured the younger one, concern was written all over her face.

They were obviously sisters, both dressed in long gowns with their hair pulled up in elegant bun. The older girl sat on the chair by the bed while the younger one stood next to her.

"I'm Susan Pevensie" the older one introduced herself, pressing a pale hand to her chest.

"And this is my sister, Lucy." She said, pointing to the younger one.

Susan spoke slowly, unsure if the girl on the bed was still dazed or fully aware. The sisters waited for a reply as the watched the girl look them over, then to the scenery outside. Finally, the girl whispered in a hoarse voice

"Where am I?".

"Not to worry. You're safe, in Cair Paravel." Replied Lucy, excitement lacing her voice.

But the girl just stared back blankly.

"You're in Narnia!"

Another blank stare.

The sisters exchanged looks and Susan began thinking of ways to explain Narnia to their guest.

"Excuse me?" said the girl "What in the world is Narnia?"

Susan gently took hold of the girl's hand and whispered

"Please, please, just listen to what we are about to tell you. It will be strange for you but keep an open-mind. In time, you will understand, I think. But for now, simply accept that what we say is true. Do you understand me?"

The girl shifted her glare from Susan to Lucy and back. Then, she slowly nodded.

Susan and Lucy then began to tell her of Narnia, of the Telmarines, the Narnians, the talking animals and native creatures. When they finished, the girl stared at them with a bewildered expression on her face.

"What? This is crazy. Absolutely crazy." She wanted to say how she thought the sisters were crazy, but she didnt want to be impolite to her hosts.

But before she could dismiss the thought of Narnia, a half-woman half-goat creature walked in shyly with a lavender colored dress in her arms. The girl felt numb, unsure of how to feel or what to believe at that moment. She felt Lucy take her hand and snapped her gaze to her.

"All that we told you, although it wasn't nearly enough, was to try and prepare you for...well...that." Lucy said.

The girl simply nodded, processing what she just saw.

"Here." Susan said, laying the dress on the chest at the tip of the bed.

"You must get dressed. Everyone is waiting to see if you are well."

With that, they left the confused girl to change her clothes and perspective.

* * *

><p>Walking through the halls and led by a faun, Avalon had a floating sensation, almost dream-like state. She noted the grey floors and walls of the castle, it all looked so medieval to her.<p>

The faun stopped in front of two gigantic doors and said "They wish to see you now."

Before she could enter, she heard a voice behind her

"There you are!" It was Susan, followed by Lucy.

Both of them smiled at her brightly.

"Come, everyone is excited to meet you."

They pushed the double doors open and revealed a magnificent room. Although it was grey, like the rest of the castle, sunlight poured in through the glass windows, lighting up the entire room.

It was thrice as long as it was wide and had 6 banners of different colors, 3 on each side, hanging from the ceiling and covering the length of the room. Each of the banners contained different characters : the first showed creatures unknown to her, the second and the third both showed girls with crowns on their heads. They had stark resemblance to Susan and Lucy. Avalon looked at them curiously.

The fourth showed a boy with dark hair and silver crown on his head, he looked so familiar to her. The fifth was that of another boy, Mediterranean looking, older than the last with equally dark hair though twice as long with a bronze crown. The sixth portrayed a golden haired boy, about as old as the previous with a gold crown on him.

There were 5 thrones at the end of the room, with a gargantuan yet majestic scarlet banner behind it with a golden lion embroidered across the entire thing.

Three boys were standing in front of the thrones, facing one another and deep in conversation. As the girls neared, Avalon looked at their faces then back to the banners, trying to put the pieces together. Before she could comprehend everything, the golden haired boy spotted them and acknowledged their presence.

"Finally! We were scared you wouldn't come around." He said in a light tone.

"We were worried when Ed brought you in." Avalon looked at the two brunette boys, the older patting the younger on the back.

Before she could properly thank her savior, a line of badgers entered the room, carrying pillows of some sort. They offered the pillows that carried the crowns to its respective owner and respectfuly bowed.

"Your Majesties, your council awaits you." One of them said.

"Yes, we will be there soon." Replied Susan.

Shock overtook Avalon as she fell on her knees. She felt so stupid! Of course! Those banners were of them, they were banners of the Kings and Queens, they were the Kings and Queens.

"What...what are you doing?" implored Edmund.

"Your Majesties, I am so sorry. I didn't know!" Even though she was not of that country, Avalon knew how royalty was supposed to be treated and they were definitely not to be called crazy like she did in the room.

"Hey, it's okay." Said the blond boy as he helped her up to her feet.

Looking back at the others, he said

"But should we tell her? I mean, she should know, right?" he asked them.

The older dark haired boy stepped forward and extended his hand to her.

"I am King Caspian, the Seafarer." He introduced himself. There was an aura of regality about him, but a warmth as well that made him approachable.

"You have met Queen Lucy, the Valiant," she waved her tiny hands

"And Queen Susan the Gentle, my wife" he said this with a delicate tone in his voice, that made Avalon smile.

Nodding to the blond boy who stood tall and proud, knowing he was next, Caspian said

"I introduce High King Peter, the Magnificent"

There was deep respect in Caspian's voice that sent goosebumps up her arms. Peter burst into a smile and offered his hand to her. Everyone then turned to the last one in the line. He was fiddling with his sleeves, uncomfortable. Noticing their stares, he said

"I'm Edmund. Just Edmund." He said quickly, offering his hand as well.

Caspian rolled his eyes and retorted in his thick Spanish accent "Don't you mean Edmund the Just?"

"That's King Edmund the Just." He said, patting his brother on the back.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's Note: _** **_This chapter, like the last, is a backstory. It is set in the past, chapter one was in the present (just so no one's confused). Please do review, I know I still have so much to learn and so much to improve on. I'm not quite sure where this story is going, but I hope you'll take this journey with me. Enjoy!_**

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><p>Avalon's first few days with the Kings and Queens had been awkward. They had all been gracious to her, spent time with her when they had some to spare and ate every meal with her.<p>

However, she chose to stay reserved and kept mostly to herself; she was in a strange world, with strange creatures, living with royalty. Of course, she was extremely unsure of what to do. She barely spoke and talked only when asked. They did not pry though, nor take it against her, understanding that she must be afraid and was adjusting to her new environment.

The Kings and Queens knew close to nothing about her – not about where she came from, how she got there, what she planned to do. But they did know two things : her name was Avalon Trevine and she loved to read.

She found the library the same day she arrived. It was a giant room with books piled up from floor to ceiling on wooden shelves. The entire room was carpeted, with several comfortable chairs that were group by fours and formed a circle, and an enormous fireplace at the south end that was lit every night at sundown. There, she immersed herself in the story of Narnia, slowly understanding it.

At first, Queen Susan would read with her. But as the time passed, Avalon found out that Susan usually read in the gardens and only stayed indoors to keep her company. One afternoon, she insisted that the Queen should not change her routines, that she was fine with being alone and so Susan left her to her reading.

But the library wasn't only Avalon's favorite place. The library was King Edmund's sanctuary and when he returned from his diplomatic visit to Archenland, he settled in his books once again. At first, he and Avalon stayed on opposite sides of the room, unseen by one another.

Then, one afternoon, the King arrived earlier than she did. He was already immersed in his reading when she arrived. Surprisingly, she sat on a chair next him and they continued to read in silence.

The days passed, the silence turned to small talk which led to long conversations that stretched hours upon hours. They soon established a friendship outside the library as well, going on walks around town and riding through the forests.

Word started to circulate than perhaps this mysterious stranger was to be King Edmund's wife. They watched the duo carefully - Avalon was soon loved by both Narnians and Telmarines for she did not shy away from them even though she wasn't a native. She conversed with them openly and participated in village life whenever she came into town.

Those rumors were addressed properly but the idea never faded from the minds of their people, an idea than lasted for years to come.

As Avalon's wall started to crumble to Edmund, she opened up to the rest of them as well. Peter and Caspian conversing with her for she was a very intelligent girl with strong opinions yet an open mind. She and Susan bonded over books, like Edmund, and writing. But Lucy formed a special bond with her when she taught the newcomer to love Narnia.

The Valiant Queen, and perhaps the one with the strongest passion and belief in Narnia and Aslan, often took Avalon to see the town, the woods, the waters, the people, the different creatures of their land. At first, it was all so absurd to her. But as time passed, Avalon started seeing things through Lucy's eyes : how the trees danced, the water came to life, the crystal clear sky. It was a perfection and beauty that Avalon never knew.

She came to love Narnia more than she ever though she could, even more than she loved her home before. After a few months under the care and hospitality of the Kings andQueens, she decided that it was time to tell her new family of her story.

Avalon Trevine was an ordinary girl from London with 2 younger siblings, Alexander and Charlotte, and a single mother. When the war came, crisis hit the country. With only one source of income supporting the family, they became homeless for a short while before moving into a dingy room that smelled of urine and wet soil.

To survive day to day, her mother was a waitress in a local pub during daytime and as an escort at night. She argued with her mother once, insisting she should work as well, but it was a conversation that went south.

"And what do you suppose you'll do then? Be an escort, like your mother? Even I can't find a decent job, how do you expect to find one?" her mother yelled out between sobs. Her shoulders shook with every breath she took. Avalon reached out her hand in comfort, but she was rejected. "I am your mother, Avalon. I am supposed to take care of YOU, not the other way around." With that, her mother walked out the door and wasn't seen until two days later. Avalon never said a word about it again.

One night, when Avalon was out for a walk, her mother came home with a man. She doesn't know all the details of the story except for what the police and the neighbors told her.

They heard a man yelling, a woman weeping and two children doing both. It stopped for a while before the noise came back, twice as loud. The old man living next door was about to knock and tell them to keep it down when 3 gun shots erupted from inside the room. The old man rushed back into his room out of fear and called the police. When they arrived, her two siblings, 12 and 9, were dead, her mother was raped and shot as well. Avalon couldn't help but blame herself.

_"I should have been there."_ She thought.

_"I could have stopped it all. I could have saved them!"_

She was so angry at herself for not being there when they needed her the most. She lost everything that night, her family, her purpose, and she figured that no matter would happen to her, no one would care anymore, no one would miss her. So she threw herself into the river and drowned.

"But instead of dying," she said, ending her tale, "I woke up here."

Silence filled the room. It was dinner time, but no one was eating. The Kings and Queens all looked at her with unreadable faces, each with horror, pity, shock, worry and most of all, sadness. The tension was rising in the room until Susan finally snapped out of her thoughts and broke the quiet.

"Well, personally, I'm glad you're safe." She whispered "But, I also think that you were given this second chance for a reason."

The Gentle Queen said carefully, trying to choose her words carefully. She wasn't sure how Avalon thought of her second life and did not want to offend her. Everyone turned to the girl who had a blank expression.

"I agree with you, Queen Susan." She replied.

"I think I'm supposed to do something or learn something. But whatever it is, my time is definitely not up."

Everyone around the table applauded at this, joyful of her optimism and hopeful for her future.

Peter raised his crystal goblet in the air and said "Cheers! To Avalon."

He smiled at the blushing girl who laughed and raised her goblet, following the others.

"Who," added Edmund, who took Avalon's free hand with his, "is meant for something more, something bigger."

The sound of cheering and clinging of glass filled the room as they toasted Avalon's new life. She smiled brightly, looking at Peter with gratitude and gently squeezing Edmund's hand. As they put down their glasses, she muttered

"I just have to figure out what it is exactly."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note** : Hey! Okay, Chapter 4. I don't really know what I feel about this one. Just like the rest, I hope you enjoy it! Drop a comment or review. I really really appreciate your kind words!

I own nothing!

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><p>After Peter interrupted their sparring session, the duo immediately packed up their things and started for the castle. Edmund stopped midway and realized that their metal armors would clang and echo, and cause unwanted attention to them. So they dropped off the armor inside the stables and snuck into Cair Paravel using a secret entrance underneath the bushes next to the back door. He had it made when the restoration began, specifically for times like these and other mischievous acts he and his best friend would do.<p>

Their swift and light feet carried them discreetly through the newly polished halls of marble and ivory. They ran as fast as their years of battles and training enabled them to, hiding behind the humongous columns as they passed the hall directly above the grand ballroom. A quick look down showed that the room was already filled with diplomats, soldiers, lords and ladies, all chatting away, laughing and buzzing amongst themselves.

The party was already in full swing. Whether he liked it or not, Edmund was going to make a dramatic entrance. After turning one last corner, Edmund burst into his room and exclaimed,

"I'm late." Edmund said as he pushed his bedroom door open. "I have nothing to wear and I'm very, very late!"

Avalon followed him inside and shut the door behind her. She watched him shuffle through his enormous closet, picking up tunics and pants and putting them back in with an annoyed growl, before she approached him and, from behind him, put her arms around his waist and unbuckled his sword sheath. The boy absent-mindedly muttered his thanks as she pulled the weapon off of him, too preoccupied with choosing his clothes.

The Just King wanted to look extra special today; it was the celebration of the restoration of Cair Paravel. This was where they were crowned, where they created a peaceful kingdom and magnificent reputations, where they reigned for 15 years before disappearing, where they shall reign from again. This was his home and he needed to look great for the day in honor of it.

Avalon tossed the sword on Edmund's bed before throwing herself unto the warm scarlet sheets as well, begging for sleep to take her.

Edmund's room was far simpler than the other royals' room although it was just as big.

The hardwood floor shined from the sunlight pouring through the glass that made up the entire northern side of the room. His bed took up the right side of the room with 5 feet tall lamps of oak and steel on either side, right next to the closet which was twice as wide as it was tall.A desk, made by hand and carved with symbols and characters that showed the story of the Kings and Queens, was positioned in the middle of the room, cluttered by maps and an unfinished chess game. The entire left side of the room, which was almost twice as big as the right, was Edmund's personal library. From the ceiling to the floor, books were organized on the shelves with a ladder as an aid.

There was a warmth to the room, a welcoming vibe to it that made Avalon feel so at home there. She was about to drift off into slumber when she felt a light pat on her leg.

"Hey, wake up! I need your help."

The girl stirred at the sound of Edmund's voice and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. When she sat up, he held up two of his favorite tunics, a silver one with short sleeves and a green one with long sleeves, and asked her to choose. With a groan, she fell back unto the bed and said

"You're supposed to do that before the party, not during, YOUR MAJESTY!"

"Well, I was not the one who insisted on sparring, was I?" he retorted, half-joking and half-annoyed. He hated it when she used his title in talking to him.

"Well, I was not the one who willingly said yes." She shot back at him, a smile was evident in her tone.

"Avalon, please. Just help me out so I could go already or Peter will have my head." He pleaded with the brunette.

Edmund once again held up the tunics for her to see. She sat up once more and said

"Fine" She pouted

"You'll be no fun if you're dead."

He rolled his eyes.

"I've always loved you in green. It suits your hair and your eyes." Edmund smiled and tossed the silver one back into the closet.

Then, he hurriedly pulled his used tunic off and pulled the new one on. Avalon didn't even turn away. Being a soldier herself, she has seen the entire army shirtless before, old men, young boys. Naked men had no effect on her whatsoever.

As he was changing his boots, Avalon said "Is there something wrong, Ed?"

"Hmm?" came his replied, as he tightened the laces.

"Is there something wrong?" she repeated

"You seem kind of out of it today. I even put you on your back out there."

He laughed lightly.

"Well, you're an amazing fighter. And getting better every day." He straightened up and looked at her, dressed in her white tunic and brown pants, looking like a sailor on the Dawn Treader.

She obviously did not believe him. Under her steady, intense gaze, he let out a sigh.

"It's just...so frustrating...I'm not like them..." he stuttered, frowning at the floor. "What? I don't understand." She said.

Another heavy sigh from Edmund. "I think Peter's trying to marry me off."

An awkward silence followed as he heard nothing from his best friend. Finally, he got himself to look at her and found her with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yes, well..."she started, trying to find a way of explaining to him.

"What do you mean?" the boy replied, confused. Then, horror filled Edmund as it dawned on him.

"Wait, what do you know? Don't tell me you're in on this!" he nearly yelled out as he rose from the bed.

Avalon quickly got on her feet as well. She pulled on his arm and attempted to have him face her.

When he did, she quickly said

"Hey, hey, relax! I'm not in on anything! I honestly have no idea if Peter is trying to marrying you off or not. I was just going to say that I'm suspecting the same thing."

Edmund's body relaxed a little under her hold but his eyes remained steady and fierce.

"But I couldn't help but notice," she continued "that you have been having parties for the most mundane reasons, that there are more ladies than there are lords in attendance, that the women all attend to you as if it is their sole purpose for being there."

Edmund's eyes shot up with amusement. "Well, you sure know a lot for someone who doesn't attend balls."

"That's what the overlooking balcony is for. So that I can spy on you." She replied.

The heavy mood was lifted as easily as it came but Edmund's worry remained.

"I don't want to get married." He said to her.

" There are other things of higher importance for me than to have a wife and an heir. And if I was to have an heir, he or she wouldn't be a queen or king anyway. That would be either Caspian and Susan's or Peter's child. Plus, no woman in their right mind would love me, truly love me. I will bet my armies that every woman in that room who is here only to see me is interested in my title, not me. And the most important detail that Peter chooses to overlook : I AM NOT INTERESTED! Why can't he just leave me alone? I'm perfectly happy!"

He ended his outburst at a yelling tone, having expressed all his opinions on the matter. Avalon simply watched him as he paced, fuming. Edmund was never the kind who talked about how he felt or what he thought, he was a mystery this way. He always had a way of making his stance clear without being transparent, so his proclamation took her off guard.

"Ed," Avalon whispered.

He was glaring at nothing in particular and grinding his teeth. But when he turned his gaze to her, she was urged to go on.

"I'm not taking any sides here. I'm just going to tell you how things are, okay? The truth of the matter is this – Lucy is turning 18 soon and suitors are already lining up. Peter and Lilliandil are engaged to married next week. Susan and Caspian are happily married and are hoping to start a family some day. And you," she paused, seeing the pieces come together for him.

"You are now 20. Soon, you shall be 21, the age most men, especially Kings and Princes are expected to marry. Now, I'm no Narnian, but I know very well that your people are getting anxious for you. So are your brothers and sisters. This isn't just about securing an heir and meeting the expectations of your nation. They want you to be happy. You haven't even exerted any effort in finding love! You immediately turn away from every woman who you can potentially be attracted to or simply dismiss all of them."

He started turning away from her, not hearing anything she just said. Or at least he refused to. His dislike for marriage and love was too strong. But she quickly stepped over to him and forcefully turned him to her.

"Don't give up before the fight even starts, Ed. Give it a chance." Her eyes bore into his and she pierced him with her words in a way only she can.

Being his best friend, she knew how to manipulate him in all the right and wrong ways. Finally, he nodded his agreement.

Satisfied, she gave a light "whoop!" and tossed him his sword. Chuckling, he strapped it to his waist and started to lead the way out of the room.

She stopped him suddenly and said,

"You forgot something."

She ran to a glass case that was on his desk and carefully took out his silver crown.

"His Majesty should take extra care now."

He laughed silently and bent his head, stepping closer to her. With fingers as light as a bird's wing, she placed the jewel and stone encrusted crown on his head. Compared to Peter's, Edmund's looked more like a silver halo on him. But it had nothing to do with position or power, Edmund assured her once. He simply preferred it this way.

"It's a bit more discreet, I think" he said to her.

* * *

><p>"Now, remember our agreement, okay? Give them a chance." Avalon whispered as they neared the staircase leading to the grand ballroom. Edmund simply nodded to her once more. When they were mere steps away from the top of the stairs, they both stopped and Edmund turned to her, checking his sword again and fixing his hair.<p>

"You'll be in the overlooking balcony, right?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.

She smiled at him kindly and replied, "Of course, as always. I'll be looking out for creepers and whatnot." He cracked a smile as well.

"I'll see you later." He said.

She patted his arm and nodded. Edmund cleared his throat and straightened himself, holding his head high and proud. In a split second, Edmund transformed. He wasn't Edmund Pevensie anymore. He was King Edmund, the Just.

"Go get 'em." She whispered her final words of encouragement before running off.

He watched her for a brief moment, then stepped into the light. When he took his first step down the long, marble stairs, all eyes turned to him, watching the young King make his entrance. There was a air of grace and strength about him, demanding respect yet at the same time, was warm and welcoming. He was the epitome of royalty, a mixture of humility and pride.

When he was midway, the entire assemble bowed, except of course, his family. Peter swooped in on him as he reached the landing, obviously in high spirits and announced

"So glad you finally joined us, brother."

Addressing their guests, he raised his maintained his composure, a slight smirk on his lips, eyes uncaring and drifting from face to face.

"Ladies and gentlemen" He put his arm around Edmund's shoulder. "King Edmund the Just has arrived! Now, we can truly celebrate!

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Now, you all probably noticed that bit about Lilliandil and Peter. Have a guess what their story is? Fell free to leave it in a comment. It will all be explained in the next chapter, so no worries!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm sorry for not updating in a while. Everything's just been a little crazy. I hope you haven't lost interest yet! Anyway, this chapter will explain all about Lilliandil and Peter, as promised. Hope you guys like this chapter. As always, please do reveiw, I appreciate your comments very much. Enjoy!

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><p>Edmund was getting tired. His cheeks were sore from smiling so much and he was running out of compliments and remarks. He excused himself from a conversation with the leader of the centaurs and quickly made his way to the table of beverages. Narrowly avoiding a set of blonde twins, cousins of Lilliandil, he finally reached the table.<p>

Almost instinctively, Edmund looked up. Two stories above the grand ballroom was a small balcony. There, its sole occupant was leaning on the railing, watching the party below. Edmund's trained eyes spotted her immediately and waved. A small twinkling told him Avalon was waving her sword at him.

He turned his back, facing the table, and grabbed a glass of champagne. As he sipped his drink, he saw a figure approaching him from the corner of his eye. The young king turned in the person's direction to find Peter's fiancée making her way towards him. When she was standing directly in front of him, she looked the boy over with mildly scolding eyes.

A year ago, the Three Kings sailed on a quest to find the Seven Lost Lords of Telmar. They were accompanied by a handful of their best knights, sailors, and of course, Avalon. The King's offered their quarters to her but she respectfully declined, saying that she was part of the crew and should be treated as such. Avalon never expected any special treatment from the Kings and Queens after being considered a warrior of Narnia. However, having a girl on board caused a bit of trouble with the crew.

One night, a drunken sailor tried to take advantage of her. She woke up and easily defended herself unarmed. The ruckus woke up the entire boat and within seconds, the Kings were standing in the Crew's quarter, looking at the unconscious man with anger and horror. None on the boat could believe that anyone would try such a thing on a woman and a comrade no less.

Although Avalon was unharmed, this was enough to set a fire within Edmund. The Just King tied up the man and tossed him in ship's prison then commanded that she sleep in his quarters, no if or buts, and he will sleep with the crew. No one had ever seen Edmund this furious, even Peter, and they all did as they were told without any remarks.

When they docked at Ramandu's Island, a blue start descended upon them. The star transformed into a beautiful woman and mesmerized every man, but none more than Peter. After their success in finding all the Lost Lords, the High King travelled back to see her.

They were both smitten and within weeks of knowing each other, they officially announced their courtship. She travelled back to mainland Narnia to be closer to Peter. This gesture itself told Peter's family, including Caspian and Avalon, that she was truly the one for him.

She embodied the perfect match for him, a gentle lady who assisted him in all his duties. Lilliandil got along easily with everyone in the castle and very soon, she won the heart of the entire nation. Mere months of courtship passed when Peter proposed to Lilliadil in the garden of the then ruins of Cair Paravel. Their engagement was met with intense joy and approval. She quickly fit in with the Pevensie family as easily as Caspian did. After a year, it was like she was always part of it.

"Eddy," Lilliandil began. But as soon as she opened her mouth, Edmund held up his glass to stop her.

"Don't start, Lil. I know what you're trying to do, what you're going to say. I don't want to hear it and it won't work." He said bitterly, taking another sip of champagne.

Her beautiful pale face was filled with sadness and she pouted at him

"Why are you so barricaded, young King?" she whispered in a gentle voice.

Edmund sighed and faced her.

"I'm. Not." He said firmly.

She rolled her eyes and touched his arm, making him look at her.

"This hall is filled with young women. Beautiful, intelligent, ELIGIBLE young women who are all eager to meet you. And yet, you stand alone, sipping your champagne and avoiding each of their gazes." She whispered again, not wanting any of the guests to overhear.

But Edmund was still not having any of it.

"They are here to meet the King, not me. I am not what they are looking for and they are not what I hope to find." He glared at her briefly, knowing she wouldn't really understand.

Afterall, she was already madly in love and therefore, cannot see that he was basically being pressured to marry.

"And what is it exactly that you hope to find, Ed?" Lilliandil inquired.

"Let me guess. You want someone who is strong-willed yet gentle sometimes, filled with intelligence but even more so with wisdom. You want an equal, someone who will rule with you, beside you. You want a partner, not just a wife. Someone who is like you in so many ways yet still has the capacity to surprise you. But most importantly, you want someone who will over look the crown, the title, the history behind you and simply see you for who you truly are. Am I right?"

Edmund gave no response. Instead he simply watched Caspian and Susan on the dance floor, waltzing to a sweet tune. His emotionless state was all that Lilliandil needed.

"If that is what you need, sweet Edmund, look up. There is all that you search for." Edmund finally caved in and gave a small chuckle.

Lilliandil smiled, glad that she broke the tension.

"Again, stop right there." The Just King said, knowing who she meant. Avalon. Back when they weren't trying to marry him off, they tried tried to marry _them_ off.

"Lil, really?" he started but she interrupted him as well.

"Just don't close your heart, Edmund. The love of two countries can fit in that enormous heart of yours, I'm sure there's room for one more woman."

She had broken through his icy demeanor, Lilliandil took advantage of that moment. She dragged him to her cousins, Colette and Rebeka, both of whom were delighted to be in his presence.

For the rest of the evening, Edmund kept in mind Lilliandil's and Avalon's advice. He chatted and mingled and made many new friends.

At the end of the night, he ended up sitting at the porch with a red-haired lady from Archenland named Franzine, who was extremely beautiful and incredibly smart. They talked a long time about the most trivial things, exchanged stories about the horrid balls they attended and laughed a lot. He found her laugh infectious and her presence warm and welcoming but most of all, the fact that she never brought up the "King thing" was greatly appreciated. She only needed to be told once that he was to be called Edmund and that was that. When it was time for her to depart, he walked her to the front entrance, kissed her hand and bade her farewell.

Edmund watched her carriage turn a corner and disappear into the night. He tucked his hands into his pockets and walked back into the palace, reflecting on the day's events.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he actually had a good time. He was wrong, some of them truly did want to get to know him, and he hit it off with most of them. Edmund smiled to himself and pulled the silver crown off his head. He walked into the throne room to find his entire family lounging around, obviously waiting for him.

They were all looking at him expectantly, hoping to hear good news. Edmund jogged up the long aisle and sank into his throne, closing his eyes, wanting to skip the conversation that was surely coming. But as soon as his eyelids fluttered shut, he was violently shaken by his big brother.

"What?" Edmund half-yelled, half-laughed at Peter.

"Well?" the blonde boy asked, placing his hands on his waist and breathing heavily.

"Well what?" Edmund shot back, looking at him innocently. Peter scoffed at him and lightly hit him on the cheek.

"The girl! Tell us about the fiery haired girl you spent all night talking to!"

The dark-haired king looked at each one of them carefully, figuring out what to say. Caspian was sitting on the throne next to him, his chin on his palm and Susan on his lap. Lilliandil was sitting on the floor, her dress folded neatly under her and looking at him with wide hopeful eyes. Lucy gathered her skirts and jogged over to Edmund and sat on the arm of his throne, wanting to hear a great story. Finally, Edmund took in a deep breath and started

"Her name's Franzine. She's beautiful and very polite." He said, speaking quickly, "She's very smart and loves chess. She's great. And…" he faltered, drifting off.

"And? And?" Lucy squeaked, grabbing Edmund's shoulders.

"And nothing." He said quietly. Everyone groaned and the hopeful faces fell into frowns.

Susan got up and crossed her arms.

"Nothing at all? No sparks, no butterflies? You're not even a little bit curious about her?" she pressed on.

Edmund shook his head. "No. I mean, we had a great talk and I had a good time. But I don't feel anything. I don't feel like I should see her again, no need to talk again. She's a friend. No other way to describe it, I guess."

Once again, everyone groaned.

"Are you sure you aren't simply dismissing her?" Caspian asked.

"If I was dismissing her, I wouldn't have spent all evening with her, would I? Edmund replied.

Lucy sighed. "Well, can't you give it another shot? Maybe it will grow in time." She said, still hopeful .

Edmund brushed a lock of stray hair from his sister's face. She may be a woman now, but to him, she was still the little girl wanted to play hide and seek.

"I don't know, Lu. We'll see, okay?" he said to her.

This was enough for the Kings and Queens. They bid each other good night. Just before retiring to her chambers, Susan embraced Edmund and said,

"I know what it's like to resist love." She whispered, jerking her head at Caspian's direction.

"But it will come knocking someday. But the truest of all is not a loud knock, it's the one who's waiting at the door, until you open it. Worked for me at least." With a chuckle, she kissed her brother on the cheek and exited the room with her husband.

It was already late and Edmund knew he should be in bed, but he was still very much alert. He decided to walk the grounds before preparing for bed.

The night air was cool and the moon was so bright and pale that its soft glow cast light everywhere. Edmund took slow and even steps, thinking of everything and nothing at the same time. The entire palace was still and the world was so peaceful, it was almost enough to beckon sleep. He was strolling through the gardens when Edmund heard a rustle on the grass.

Instinctively, he pulled out his sword and held it in the direction of the sound. In the moonlight, he saw a figure on the ground, by the bushes, leaning against a marble bench. Cautiously, he approached it, his blade at the ready to strike at the first sign of danger.

"Avalon." He breathed out, recognizing the dark-hair and pale features of his best friend.

Edmund put his sword back in its sheath and bent down on his knees next to her. Hearing him, she began to stir and rubbed her eyes.

"Ed?" she whispered, her throat still hoarse from lack of use.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her, brushing her hair back to see her face.

"Waiting for you." She replied, coughing a little.

Pity overcame Edmund as it all came back to him. Edmund hates balls and parties, a fact Avalon knows well. So every time they held one, Edmund would attend it for three hours before sneaking out to meet with Avalon. The duo would usually head out to town disguised, and blend in with the commoners, enjoy the peasant life and escape the royal one for a little while. But not tonight. No, tonight, Edmund forgot. He smacked himself on the head.

"I'm so sorry, Avalon. I completely forgot." He whispered to her in the dark. Edmund picked her up in his arms and started carrying her into the castle.

"So I take it you had a good time." She whispered against his neck.

"It was okay. I would rather have been with you." It was his form of apology for ditching her.

Half-asleep, Avalon muttered "Sure, sure. We still have next time. Good night, Ed."

Tomorrow, he would make it up to her. Edmund glanced at his best friend; at that moment, she wasn't a tough soldier. She was simply a girl, at peace with her dreams.

"Good night, Avalon." He whispered back, clutching her closer to his chest and careful not to drop her as he made his way up the grand staircase.

With that, Avalon buried her face in curve of his neck and surrendered to sleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>There you have it, Chapter 5. Every chapter, I hope to give you a deeper and subtle look into Edmund and Avalon's relationship. I hope you enjoyed this one. Review review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Hey, everyone! Here's Chapter 6. In this one, you will learn why Avalon is considered a warrior so it's kind of like another back story. Hope you enjoy this one! Let me know what you. Review!

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><p>Red and gold swirled before her sleep-clouded eyes, the colors twirled as she looked left and right. Avalon blinked hard several times until the colors held still and the ceiling displayed a painting of a golden lion and dozens of shooting stars across a scarlet background.<p>

Slowly, she lifted herself into a sitting position with a groan. Rubbing her aching neck, she surveyed her whereabouts, not quite sure how she got to bed last night.

"I was in the gardens at sunset. Did I fall asleep? Ugh, I must have or I wouldn't have this nightmare of a stiff neck. That must mean that Edmund did not come which means that he had a good time." Avalon felt a small pang of pain in her chest at the thought of Edmund forgetting about her and not coming for her.

Rejection. She frowned and shook her head, dismissing the sudden feeling. It was probably natural that she would feel a little hurt. After all, Edmund never left her hanging before; she was just caught off guard.

"Hmmm. What kept him last night?" Possibilities invaded her mind and her eyes widened when it all made sense to her.

"Oh, he has a lot of explaining to do!" she thought, jumping out of the puffy cotton sheets. Avalon quickly puffed her two cream colored pillows and smoothed the creases on her scarlet covers, stepping back for just a moment to make sure everything was in order. As a soldier, she was expected to be organized. This was one non-combat skill she was glad to acquire.

Avalon's room was small and very simple, made only for her. She used to stay with Lucy when they still resided in the Telmarine castle.

When the restoration of Cair Paravel begun a year after her arrival, Caspian instructed that she be built her personal quarters. The four Pevensies, the former residents of the original Cair Paravel, fully supported this idea but Avalon was hesitant. She insisted that she will live in town, that it will be no problem at all for her. After all, she reasoned, she was not of royal blood or officially affiliated with any of them in any way; she wouldn't want the people of Narnia to question, and disapprove her presence.

"I have overstayed my welcome, Your Majesties." Avalon told them.

"Non sense!" Susan exclaimed. "Everyone loves you. You are a wonderful addition to the household."

Avalon opened her mouth to argue when Peter stood up and said

"You are coming with us to Cair Paravel and you are getting your own room. We're not asking you, we're telling you. That is final." He used his "King" voice, one that demanded so much respect that Avalon did not even dare argue.

When he sat down, Peter chuckled, he was simply a boy again. "Seriously, Avalon. It's just a room!"

The girl bowed her head and started picking at her fingernails, a little embarrassed at the kind gesture.

"You have all been so kind," she whispered, her voice tinged with gratitude. "It is very overwhelming. I hope I can repay someday."

"Hey now, stop that." Peter said "Stop acting like we're so high and mighty. Stop acting like a guest."

Avalon quivered a bit, afraid that he was annoyed at her. Then his voice melted, so kind and sweet when he spoke next, almost like the way he would talk to Lucy. "You're one of us now, Avalon. You're part of this family."

As she hoped, Avalon did find a way to repay them. During her first few months, she accompanied Susan and Lucy to archery practices, trying her hand at the bow and arrow. Seeing some potential in her, Susan decided to give Avalon private archery lessons. The girl accepted the Queen's offer and worked diligently to hone her skills.

On the fields, they had a teacher-student relationship, focused on the task at hand and strived for hours upon hours to make an archer out of the simple London girl. She learned quickly and soon set her sights on a different skill: sword fighting.

Edmund and Caspian brought her to the training grounds once. When she showed interest, they went on a few rounds with her, showing her a few tricks and some basic skills. She easily fell in love with the sword. After her archery lessons with Susan, Avalon rushed to the training grounds and join the beginner's sessions given to the new recruits.

Her constant return amused and delighted the Kings but they always made sure that she was a good feet away from everybody else, apart from the group, and was given a small, unsharpened sword. This made her feel like a child, but the General of the Army laughed at her and gently said

"They are the same way with Susan and Lucy, my Lady. Take it as a good thing. Their Majesties just don't want any harm to come your way."

But unknown to the Kings and Queens, Avalon was a natural swordsman as she was an archer. There was just something about it that thrilled her, pushing her to be better and better. With every improvement, she felt stronger, powerful.

One afternoon, the new recruits were given the day off and the field was scheduled for the soldiers. They were experienced, though not unbeatable fighters. If the new recruits were beginners, they were intermediate players of the game. Avalon decided to stay a while, having run a long way. For fun, she snuck into the shack filled with armors and tried one on. She put on the entire uniform, from head to toe and pranced around the room, talking in a low gruff voice. It was like playing dress up, only in a medieval world.

But without warning, the General walked in and started yelling at her, not knowing it was Avalon inside the steel armor, scolding her for not being on the battle field.

She panicked, saying "It's Avalon! I'm not a soldier!" but her voice was muffled by the helmet.

She found herself dragged by the arm and tossed in the middle of the practice battle with men run at her and around her from all directions. Instinctively, she grabbed her sword and swung left and right, defending herself from her opponents. Her fear quickly turned into focus, her legs steadied beneath her and her adrenaline kicked in.

Everything became crystal clear to her, she felt invincible. Avalon charged at the soldiers running towards her, striking them hard, but still very much aware that this was only a practice, not a real battle. She knocked out many men, careful not to injure any of them (seriously injure them at least) before she felt her legs go out from under her and a hard object hit her helmet.

Avalon was flat on her back, her head was spinning and she was absolutely drenched in her suit. Without a second thought that she might be in the middle of an on-going fight, she pulled off her helmet, breathing out a sigh of relief.

The on-lookers gasped at the sight of a girl sitting in the middle of the battlefield in the midst of the fight. Moreover, seeing that she fought, arm to arm, sword to sword, with those soldiers filled everyone with both amazement and shock.

But for Edmund, who supervised all trainings and was standing only a few meters away, was filled with complete horror. Before he could stop himself, he roared at the men to stop the fight and ran to the field, to the girl who was sitting and laughing to herself.

"Are you mental?" he screamed, filled with rage and shock.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Soldiers and on-lookers alike were astonished at the Just King's fury. Edmund was known for being calm and collected, but at the moment, he couldn't be any farther from it. His face was flushed and his eyes were wide with worry. Avalon got to her feet, ready to explain herself.

"Your Majesty, I..." she started, trembling in her armor but ready to stand up for herself.

Edmund raised a gloved hand, stopping her. This time, he spoke in soft, even voice.

"You could have been injured today. You could have been seriously hurt!" he seethed through his teeth.

"Anyone could get injured, Ed! It's part of it."

"But you're not just anyone, are you, Avalon?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but paused, unsure of what to say. He was fuming; steam was practically escaping his ears.

"Remember what you told me the night you all found out about my past? You said that I was meant for something." She said gently, not wanting to upset him further. He nodded, although still frowning.

"Well, I think this is it. I think this is what I'm meant for!"

He stepped back a bit, frustration overcame him. "Let me get this straight. You died and you think your second life is meant for you to be killed again? Is that it?"

Irritation was clawing at her.

"Have a little faith, YOUR MAJESTY. I did exceptionally well today; both you and I know it. I pulled off an amazing feat, if I do say so myself. You're just too big of a worry wart to admit it!" Avalon yelled, her voice louder and higher with every word.

She breathed slowly, gathering her wits about her. Then, sizing him up and staring him down, she spoke in a low voice with all the strength she could muster.

"I can do this. I want to do this." She said, pleading with him.

"Please." She looked up at him, praying he'd see it her way.

"You know I can. You know this is what I'm meant to do."

She finally broke through to him. He knew very well that it took a lot to achieve what she did that day, taking down soldiers twice as experienced as she was.

"Fine." He sighed.

"But you will not do this behind my back again. You will only fight when I'm around or when Peter or Caspian is. You will not even touch a sword if we are absent or I will take back my approval, do you understand?" Edmund commanded, laying down the line, but giving in to her.

In the months that followed, Avalon fully committed her time to swordsmanship. She was on the training grounds everyday, focused on learning her craft. The Kings never paid her special treatment, as she requested, although the worry on their faces was evident every time she took a blow. But Avalon never gave up, no matter how hard things got for her.

Many times she heared men talking about her behind her back. Sore losers often reasoned out that they were only taking it easy on her. Soldiers she outfought and surpassed bitterly remarked that she was only moving up the ranks because she was a personal friend of the Kings and Queens. But Avalon never talked back, never took revenge and never mentioned those rumors to the Pevensies.

Instead, she took all her frustration out during the battles, letting her skills do the talking and proved time and time again that she was as a better soldier than the rest of them. In time, the doubtful whispering became talks of admiration. Avalon climbed up the ranks quickly, and within a year, became one of the best soldiers in Narnia.

She earned her place in the front line, fighting side by side with the Kings and Queens. Everyone admitted though, even Avalon herself, that this was not only her doing. To have such talent was a gift, a divine one. Each time Avalon stepped out and fought, the on lookers would say

"There goes the soldier in Aslan's favor."

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><p>Avalon raced to the kitchen, knowing that it was breakfast time. She walked in to find Susan by the stove, cooking eggs and ham as was her favorite weekend meal, Lucy and Peter setting the plates on the table and Lilliandil slicing bread. She leaned on the doorway and crossed her arms, simply watched them before announcing a loud<p>

"GOOD MORNING!"

Just as she said this, Avalon felt a pinch on her waist before seeing Caspian pass her. She struck him on the arm before he could get away and he turned back, giving her a megawatt smile, bidding her a good morning. Then, he rushed to his wife and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Where's Ed?" Avalon casually asked, but everyone knew her too well to know that this question wasn't casual at all.

"He should be here soon." Lucy replied, giving her a knowing smile.

"Did he ditch you?" Asked Peter, his voice breaking from laughter. Everyone also knew about the duo sneaking off during parties.

"Yes! I fell asleep in the garden!" Avalon exclaimed, as laughter burst through the entire room. It was that lovely scene that Edmund walked into, still half asleep.

"Morning all." He said, stifling a yawn. Every head turned to face him and he stood up straight, worried at their reactions.

"What? Am I late for something?" he inquired, looking back and forth at all of them.

"No, not at all." Avalon said, a wide Cheshire grin on her face. She slyly walked over to him and patted him arm, an air of suspicion all around her. Just like that, Edmund knew that she knew. He smacked himself on the forehead to everyone's amusement and they all waited for him to stat groveling.

"Five." Caspian whispered.

"Four" said Susan.

"Three" giggled Lucy.

"Two" silently said Peter, with a smirk.

"One" sighed Lilliandil.

Avalon's eyes shot up and right on cue, Edmund let out him apology.

"I was just taking your advice! You told me to give them a chance, to have a great time and so I did! There were many delightful people, absolutely delightful, and Lil's cousins were very entertaining. I had a blast. Then I met this woman from Archenland." He paused, swallowed and took a sharp breath in.

"Her name is Franzine and she has hair like fire and the brownest eyes I've seen. We talked, we talked for a long, long time. She had so much to share and we had a great conversation and we danced and laughed and before I knew it she had to leave and it totally left my mind. I didn't even remember until I found you last night, sprawled on the ground and for that I am so so SO sorry!" Edmund ended his long speech, panting and worried that she might hit him. But all that met him was complete silence.

Then, she burst out laughing. To Edmund's annoyance, everyone laughed as well. "Did you see his face, stuttering and all that?" Lucy managed to get out despite the giggles and tears in her eyes.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny." Edmund said, pushing past Caspian and sat at the table.

He rested his chin on his palm and waited for everyone to settle down. Eventually, they did and took their places around the table as well. Susan and Avalon set the plates of food in the middle of the table, still smiling widely and letting out a few last laughs. Finally, Avalon took her place beside Edmund and they started their meal, conversation and light banter filled the room as the sunshine poured in through the windows, highlighting the merry scene.

When Edmund reached out for the plate of eggs, Avalon grabbed his hand and shot him a sweet smile before whispering,

"For the record, I forgive you."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think, anything to improve. Drop by and give a review! And if you have any ideas for the story line, lemme know as well! I'm open to all of it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **I'm back! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. We just finished up our final exams so I didn't exactly have a lot of mind space for a story nor time to write one. But I put this down as soon as I could. This was a rush job, but as always, I still hope you like it.

Oh, and those who have sent me reviews that the formatting is kind of hard to read, thank you so much for telling me. I don't read my story after I write it so I didn't know that. Hope this one's easier to read.

Review! Tell me what you think!

And I don't own anything or anyone except Avalon. :)

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><p>"Alright, ladies. Fall in line!" yelled the General.<p>

All at once, dozens of young men, boys really, scampered to their feet and pushed each other out of the way until, eventually, one straight line was formed. They straightened their clothes and smoothed their hair, trying their best to look presentable. Some were tanned and well-built while most of them were scrawny and simply hoped they'd still be alive by the end of the day.

Annually, each 18 year old male was sent to the training grounds, a huge and open meadow a few miles from the palace and isolated from the rest of Narnia. They all came, shivering with fear and anxiety for what lay ahead of them. They undergo extensive combat training, learn how to swim and climb mountains, use a sword, shoot an arrow and make weapons out of almost anything.

Even though they lived in a time of prosperity, it was still considered important for every man to be competent, efficient and smart fighters equipped with the skills for combat. It was every man's duty and responsibility. If a war were to start again, all of them would be summoned and given the privilege to defend their nation. This cycle also served as a rite of passage from being boys to men. This year was no different, the process started again.

He slowly walked the length of the line, eyeing each and every boy, all of whom were on their knees, bowing to the King. Edmund took even steps, a majestic sense about him, almost invincible disposition. It radiated off of him; it wasn't arrogance, it was charisma that demanded awe and respect.

He was wearing his favorite body armor, the same one he wore during the battle against Miraz, one he became quite known for, with his hand resting on the handle of his silver sword. With the strength of a warrior and the pride of a royal, he surveyed them all, making notes on who might make a good soldier and who will most likely be sent home early. He didn't like this part, for Edmund was the Just King after all and believed that one should never be judged based on appearances, but for the sake of the safety of his country, it was necessary to know who will be able to fight.

When he was finished, they all rose to their feet and he made his way to the center of the line so that they could all see him. Most of them bowed their heads as he passed but some, the more burly boys, dared to look him in the eye.

Every year, kids like these would arrive, arrogant and cocky because they're strong and have handled a sword before. They think that they're already better than everyone else. Some even have the nerve to doubt Edmund because he isn't as tall, as well-built as they were. But every time, the best swordsman in all of Narnia proved them wrong. Edmund stared them down back, having faced them before.

"_They will know their place soon."_ He thought.

"Welcome to the training grounds, boys." He announced in a voice clear enough for all to hear.

The arrogant ones rolled their eyes; they did not like being called boys.

"In the next few months, this will be your home. For some, this will be your hell. You will leave this place a soldier with all the skills for war. Now, look around you." He paused, letting them turn to each other and be acquainted with the faces.

"These are your comrades. You are expected to treat each one with dignity and respect. Any discrimination, bullying or inappropriate action will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely. Do you understand?" Edmund stopped. But only silence followed.

"I said do you understand?" he roared this time. Shaken up, they all yelled back "Yes, sir!"

Edmund lowered his voice. "They are your brothers. Treat them as such. Now let's get to work!"

The General instructed them all to grab their gear and follow the King in a straight and orderly line. Most of the scrawny kids were peasants while the burly ones were sons of merchants, dukes and knights. But none of these things mattered to Edmund. They all had a clean slate to him.

The dark-haired King showed them around the training grounds, from the dormitories to the archery range. He described each location to them and the rules in each area, sometimes added an anecdote here and there. He did his best to try and make them feel at ease, but it wasn't going too well; after all, he isn't as charismatic as Caspian or as charming as Peter.

Their final stop was Edmund's favorite. Every year, this was the most anticipated part of the tour. They were walking down a kilometer long dirt road from the stables.

"That, ladies," Edmund gestured to the grassy open space just beyond the veil of trees, "Is the battle grounds. This is where you will shed your sweat and tears and more blood than you will ever know."

Just before entering the perimeter of the battle grounds, a minotaur greeted Edmund with a bow.

"Your timing is excellent, Your Highness." He said is a low, rumbling voice. "They have already begun the practice sessions awhile back but the one you have come to see has just started." The minotaur smiled a knowing smile, which was returned by the Edmund.

"Fantastic!" he replied in a low, hushed voice.

Edmund shook the minotaur's hand and thanked him, then led the group into the fenced field. When the entire area came into full view, the new recruits stared in awe at the fight that was happening. Well, it was more of a massacre actually. A single knight, clad in full body armor and helmet, stood in the middle of the field with a sword in each hand, ready to strike. One after the other, soldiers charged at him and each on, he brought down. The soldier moved with ease and glided from one to the other and his opponents went down like flies.

"This is just a practice session. Don't worry." Edmund said, breaking them from their thoughts. He let them notice that there was no blood spilled, no one was dead in fact.

"One day, if you become as great as a knight of Narnia, you will learn how to bring down your opponents without killing them." He said with a chuckle, seeing the horrified faces.

The unknown soldier was still fighting on the field, but there were only a handful of opponents left.

"Why are the all attacking him?" one boy asked Edmund.

"He's not being attacked. He's teaching them, helping them." He replied.

"Even though most of those fallen soldiers have been fighting for ten, twenty years now, they still have much to learn. After acquiring the skills, they must be sharpened, perfected. That's why even if you've learned everything there is to know, you must never stop practicing." Ed raised his voice.

"There's always something for everyone to learn." He put a lot of emphasis on his voice, and looked towards the arrogant fools.

Everyone returned their attention to the fight. His swords moved quickly through the air, sometimes only appearing like sparks of light. When every soldier was put down, the lone survivor eased his stance.

From a distance, they saw the figure turn his head towards their direction and started to slowly make his way to the group.

Edmund felt the awe and fear in the air as the boys waited for him to reach them. When the soldier was finally in front of them all, they noticed he was considerably thin and slightly shorter than the King. His size made them all the more impressed by him. They couldn't see his face, except for the green eyes that pierced through the steel helmet. He stood next to King Edmund who proudly put his arm around the soldier and proclaimed,

"Everyone, one of Narnia's finest." Boasted the young King,

A low rumble was heard from inside the armor and the soldier quickly pulled the helmet off.

Dark hair cascaded from beneath the helmet, falling into messy waves and stopped just below her shoulders. She panted a little and deeply breathed in and out, trying to catch her breath. Her beautiful face was pale and flushed; it glistened with sweat in the sunlight. An audible gasp was heard from the group. Disbelief was painted on the face of every individual in the group.

"This is Avalon Trevine." Edmund introduced her, knowing this was enough of an explanation to them.

No one responded, still shocked to find that a girl was under that armor. But then again, they all knew that she wasn't just any other girl.

The people of Narnia, talking creatures and Telmarines alike, have all heard of Avalon Trevine. They knew her to be strong, yet kind and incredibly intelligent. Many times they have seen her going around town with the Kings and Queens, mingling with the people.

She was known for being quick-witted with an easygoing attitude and pride to stand by her own terms which were greatly displayed by her open refusal to always wear a dress. They all knew that she was King Edmund's best friend and trusted advisor.

It was also a known fact that she was a warrior and served in the Royal Army's first battalion. In the years that passed, many soldiers and recruits returned home with stories of battle and of Avalon but many of the people still found it hard to believe.

Let's face it: If someone told you that a teenaged girl knocked out knights thrice her age with four times the experience, you wouldn't be able to process it. Avalon Trevine, the warrior, was a mystery, a phenomenon that was to be seen to be believed.

"So these are the newbies, huh?" Avalon turned to Edmund, still breathing heavily. When he nodded with a smirk, she turned to the crowd of boys and addressed them.

"Hey there!" She flashed her pearly white smile at them. Edmund noticed their reactions – their eyes shot wide open and they looked her up and down. He smiled even more, familiar with their reactions. She had this effect on men that she didn't even know she had. But even though, he was amused, he felt a roar attempt to rip its way out of his chest. Edmund has always been protective of Avalon, a few times even possessive. She was his best friend; it was natural for him to look out for her.

"Well, welcome to the battle grounds. This will be your home for the next couple months; you'll learn to love it. We're all just people here, so if ever you need any help, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

Edmund nearly rolled his eyes at that one. She always offers that but her kindness always bites her back. "_They won't hesitate to ask alright. But they won't ask about training either."_ Edmund thought as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Stay humble, give your best each time and I'm sure your journey will be amazing." She advised them, still smiling widely. These words were met with enthusiasm from the group.

Edmund took this joyous uproar as an opportunity and discreetly signaled to the General to beckon Avalon off. The General coughed clumsily and caught Avalon's attention.

"Alright, alright. You might be one of Narnia's finest, but you're still my soldier." He joking said, nudging her with his elbow. "Hit the showers, Trevine."

Edmund watched in amusement as the new recruits gazed at Avalon's laughing figure, running off to her tent. It was the same thing every year, which was why he brought them there.

Every season, when the "fresh meat" came in, he always brings them to see his warrior best friend. They'd stand in awe at the armored knight who took down every enemy, then have the wind knocked out of them by the beautiful girl under that armor.

Edmund would hate to say it, but in a way, he used her presence there to their advantage. Having a girl around, a beautiful one at that, gave the new recruits some inspiration to not mess up. It triggered this competitive manly thing guys have and forced them all to step up and give their best, all in an effort to impress her.

This infatuation never lasted long, but it would get most of them through the first few months. However, a few really would try to pursue her, especially the burly rich kids who'd pass with flying colors, but get shot down by her obliviousness to it all. Avalon has always been focused on doing better and being better, she saw nothing else most of the time. Through the years, Edmund has watched one man after another follow her like a dog and still go by unnoticed.

She longed for love and liked the idea of it, but like Edmund, she still had other plans.

Every now and then, her suitors don't take the sting of rejection too well. After all, they were soldiers, trained to fight and win at all cost. Edmund, Peter and Caspian would secretly step in and remind them that she can cut them in half in a split second.

"But if you don't lay off," Caspian said to an arrogant and insistent soldier a year ago, his accent thick and his voice low, "I will personally cut you in half. Show the lady some respect."

What happened in the Dawn Treader really opened their eyes. Avalon can take care of herself, no doubt about that, but that didn't stop their worries. She lived in a man's world and it was a dangerous place to be. Some of her suitors are genuinely good men, but some are aggressive and unpredictable. Some of them were simply men who missed the comfort of a woman and wanted the first and only one they can find.

The dark-haired king squared his shoulders and snapped his gloved fingers, taking their attention from Avalon's silhouette. He saw the way they looked at her. He caught the lust and infatuation in some of their eyes. He knew this would happen, it always does; it was the price to be paid in exchange for their drive and focus to do well. But Edmund still couldn't stop the anger that erupted in him. He wanted to knock their eyes back into their sockets and send them home.

"_Relax, Ed." He reminded himself. "They won't lay a hand on her. She will knock them on their knees." He silently smirked at the mental image of Avalon putting them all on their backs. "And she has you. You know you won't let anything happen to her."_

"Alright, boys." He announced his voice deep and dark. "Pick up your gear. Knock your eyes back in!" Edmund pointed to a blonde boy who still kept stealing glances at Avalon's tent. "We're heading back to your headquarters."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>There you have it! I'll try to update as soon as I can! And by the way, just so no one's confused, Ed and the General call the soldiers "ladies" but they are dudes. I think it makes it all the more demeaning, and I've seem it be done in movies. :) Review, drop by, comment, toss me an idea. I love them all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Since I kept you all waiting so long for Chapter 7, I immediately wrote down Chapter 8 to try and make up for lost time. Now that we've established the characters, the story really begins.

Thank you to all those who reviewed and read my story. I hope you continue on this journey with me. Enjoy! Review!

Again, I own nothing except Avalon Trevine. :)

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><p>The sun was already setting when King Edmund the Just retired to his tent. Training the new recruits was always difficult, but it was dealing with the egos that were nearly unmanageable. As expected, the rich boys were arrogant and self-centered and the peasants were too afraid to stand up to them.<p>

He had to dismiss two recruits today, a son of a duke and a son of a merchant, who kept bullying their comrades. Edmund knew very well that he would hear about it, but he did what he had to do. Those boys may have been good swordsmen, but a cruel man had no place in the Narnian Army.

"In time, they will learn." Edmund thought, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just wish that time came sooner."

With a sigh, he took off the thin silver crown on his head. It felt like a world was lifted off his shoulders. He wasn't His Royal Highness anymore. He was simply Edmund again.

He gently set the silver halo down on his desk, before gripping the sides of the wooden table and bowing his head in frustration. His dark hair, which was thicker and longer than usual, spilled over as he stared at the floor, tickling his nose and eyes.

Edmund was exhausted. Every part of him screamed fatigue, not just his body but his mind as well. He shut his eyes briefly, hoping to erase all his negative feelings, when he heard the sound of curtains being pushed aside and he immediately knew he was not alone.

He turned around to find Avalon munching on an apple and staring at him with a calm expression. She was tempted to tease him about his awful appearance but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't respond to it well in his current condition.

Edmund caught that flash of mischievousness in her eyes. Ha gave another sigh.

"Don't even say it Avalon."

"I wasn't going to." She said, still munching on the fruit.

She tossed the bitten apple to him and said,

"The horses are waiting. Let's go home."

The ride home was unusually quiet. They were escorted by Trumpkin and two Minotaurs; Edmund rode first, in full view of everyone, and Avalon was positioned in the middle, surrounded by the guards. Avalon kept stealing worried glances at Edmund. He looked like he was going pass out on top of his horse.

She quietly got the attention of the guard and gestured them to move aside. Then, she whipped her reins twice and the horse galloped lightly until she was beside Edmund.

"Long day?" she whispered to him so only he would hear. She watched him and he gave her a small smile.

"The first day is always the longest." He said. "I'm fine" He reassured her. "I just wish I was at the battle grounds too. But…"

"Duty calls. I know, I know." She told him. "Don't worry. They'll be swinging their swords there too soon enough."

Edmund gave her another small smile, a more natural one this time

"I can't wait to get home." He told her. She knew exactly what he meant

He may be dead tired now, but his family was like a jolt of lightning through his veins. Because of the monarchs, the castle was always filled with so much life and joy. Meal times were noisy with conversations; meetings were humorous with stories here and there.

Some days, Edmund came home too tired to interact with anyone and he would retreat to his chambers or stay in the library. But other days, all he needed was to spend a little time with his brothers and sisters and all would feel right again.

Of course, he counted Avalon as part of the family; they all did. So when they would talk of family, it was already understood that she was in the picture.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" she said, a light laughing tone in her voice. He turned to her, a little confused. It took him a second to register but before he could say anything, she sped off, leaving the sound of her laughter behind.

His eyes widened in mild surprise. Edmund chuckled and turned to the others with a face that said "typical Avalon!" Then in a split second, they all galloped after her, racing home to Cair Paravel.

"He fell flat on his butt!" Edmund said, animatedly sharing about his day. Laughter erupted all around the table. They were all having supper, trading stories of their day and joking around. Avalon passed Peter a basket of bread as he said

"Well, that served him right."

Peter and Edmund exchanged mischievous smiles as Lilliandil lightly chastised him.

"He's just a boy, dear. Don't be too hard on him."

"Too hard?" Peter exclaimed jokingly.

"No one messes with the Pevensies!"He said in a mock booming voice. He puffed out his chest to the amusement of everybody, and received a playful smack on the head from Susan.

"Down boy, down!" she said through her giggles.

When the laughter began to die down, Caspian turned to Edmund with a smirk.

"And how'd they take Avalon?"

"The usual." Everyone looked at her with sly smiles which she returned with a blank stare.

"What? What do you mean?" she said through a mouth full of food. She swallowed hard and fast and looked at all of them with a confused look on her face.

"You all should have seen them!" Edmund said, setting his utensils down. "They were in absolute awe, like they were seeing Aslan or something! It was hilarious!"

"I bet one of them already has plans of asking you out." Lucy giggled, resting a dainty hand on Avalon's shoulder.

"Or a dozen." Lilliandil added with a smile

Avalon rolled her eyes at them and returned to her food. "You are all in-sa-ne." She said slowly, emphasizing heavily on insane.

"They're not all bad, Avalon. Why don't you give one of them a shot? They're already on their knees for you." Susan joked, knowing what Avalon would say.

"No man is on his knees for me, Suzy." She replied, sticking her tongue out at the fair skinned Queen.

"That's what you think!" Lucy quickly said.

"Really, Avalon. How long are you going to stay oblivious to them?" Edmund cocked his head to the side, and charmingly raised an eyebrow at her,

Avalon dropped her jaw in mock shock and quipped "I. Am. Not. Oblivious. To. Anything." She poked him with every word. "And that is absolutely rich coming from you, Mr. I-Don't-Ever-Want-To-Get-Married."

Peter set down his glass goblet and said "Either way, Ed. If her suitors aren't scared off by her sword, they'll be scared off by ours." He joked, knocking knuckles with Caspian.

Lucy rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh. At this rate, Susan will be the only who'll ever get married!" she said, turning to Avalon.

"Well, don't tell Marcus that, Lu." Susan whispered quietly, giggling. But not quietly enough as Ed and Peter turned their head quickly in the girls' direction.

"What?" Peter asked, eyeing Lucy. Her eyes widened at his reaction.

"Suzy!" she panicked and turned to her older sister. Avalon and Caspian exchanged looks that said "Here-we-go-Pevensie-family-thing". None of it was serious, of course, for there was always humor underlying in their voices.

"Who's Marcus?" Peter exclaimed, a smile tugging on his lips

"He's one of her suitors, Pete. It's nothing!" Susan insisted in her wise-gentle-Queen voice.

Peter looked from Lucy to Susan and back before saying "You only turned of age 2 months ago and this Marcus is already at the door!" He sounded incredulous.

"In both their defense," Susan said "He waited for her since she was sixteen but she kept turning him down, saying it was not the right time."

"And it's still not!" Peter said, standing up and resting his hands on his waist.

"Wait a minute, Pete." Edmund said in calm voice. Peter turned to his brother and leaned back in his chair, relaxing for a moment. The dark-haired king turned to his sisters with a serious face that did not hide the mischief in his eyes,

"Did you say ONE of her suitors?"

The entire table erupted once more and a new round began.

Lucy, Avalon and Edmund were in the gardens, lying down on the grass, resting their full bellies after dinner. The couples went their separate ways to spend some time alone; Peter and Caspian were shipping out in a week to check on Ramandu's Island.

The trio was on their backs, the heads near one another, forming a triangle shape, watching the jewel-like sparks in the pitch black sky,

"They're unlike any of the stars back in the old world." Avalon whispered as she stretched out her arms, as if to capture one.

"I barely even remember the old world." Lucy replied, sadness laced her voice.

"I can never forget them." Avalon said. "They were the last thing I saw in the last life."

Silence took over them once more. Nothing could be heard except the sound of their breathing and the gentle brush of the night air.

"Avalon?" Lucy called out, breaking the quiet.

The older girl turned to face her, her eyebrows raised in expectation.

"Do you really think that being a soldier is what you're meant for in this life? Do you really believe that Aslan has summoned you for this reason?" The youngest Queen asked hesitantly. No one has ever really asked Avalon this.

Avalon sat up with a sigh, her eyes filled with thought. The other two followed her, turning their bodies to face her. She ran her fingers through her hair and carefully said her reply.

"Yes, Lu, I do. I mean, why else would I be so good at it? How else could I possibly be capable of all the things that I am if I were not blessed?"

"Maybe you're just a natural?" Lucy said, but the moment the words left her mouth, she thought it sounded foolish. Avalon gave her a small smile and shook her head.

"I arrived here completely unaware of anything four years ago. I've been fighting for three. How does that explain the fact that I put down soldiers who have been warriors for longer than I have been alive?" Her voice went up a little bit, but Avalon pressed on.

"With every move I make, whether with a sword or with a bow and arrow, I feel as if someone is beside me, guiding me, protecting me, giving me extra senses. It's as if all the fear and doubt is washed away and I feel invincible." She bit her lip and paused. Then she looked straight into Lucy's and Edmund's eyes. "I just know. With my whole heart, I just know."

Lucy nodded, although she didn't fully understand. She lay back down on the soft grass, contemplating. Avalon looked at Edmund. His eyes showed that he understood perfectly.

"Lu, do you remember the time when we accidently went back to London?" Edmund asked Lucy as he lay back down.

"Yes. Why?" came the reply.

"No one fully understood us, why we walked and talked and acted the way we did." Said the boy. "But even though no one else knew, we did. We knew with our entire beings that we were Kings and Queens of Narnia and that we were in Aslan's grace no matter where we were. Even though no one else felt it or saw it, the only thing that mattered was that…"

"We did." Lucy finished the sentence, understanding now.

"Faith." She whispered.

Lucy reach out, fingering the grass until she found Avalon's hand. She gave it a light squeeze, as if to tell her that she understood now. Avalon squeezed it back and they all fell silent once more.

They stayed out there for what seemed like hours, content with the cool air and the picturesque sky when suddenly, Lucy turned to her side unexpectedly. Edmund and Avalon turned their heads to find that the girl had fallen asleep. Ed laughed and the two sat up, looking at the snoozing Pevensie.

"I guess that's a sign that we should head up already." Edmund chuckled as he stood up. Avalon did the same, smoothing out the white tunic and pants that she was wearing.

The boy bent down and picked up his little sister from the grass. She didn't stir but she instinctively wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.

"What is it with you women and sleeping in the garden?" Edmund joked.

Avalon gave a soft laugh and looked up at the sky once more. Edmund had stated walking up the marble steps when he noticed that his best friend wasn't behind him.

"You coming?" he called out to her.

She snapped out of it and turned to him. After a moment's deliberation, she said "On second thought, I'll stay out here a little longer."

Edmund nodded. He would have stayed out with her but he must bring Lucy up to her chambers and he was too tired to stay up much longer. He flashed her one last smile and bade her a good night.

"Good night, Eddy. I'll see you in the morning." She whispered, waving at him from the distance before setting herself back down on the grass.

After returning his little sister to her chamber, Edmund retreated into his own. The darkness of the room consumed him and for the first time the entire day, he let the fatigue wash over him completely.

He groggily changed into a white undershirt and loose cotton pants before collapsing on his bed with a groan. The energy he had earlier at supper had left him, leaving him completely drained. Every part of him ached and felt like it weighed a thousand tons. He was in dire need of rest.

It didn't take long for sleep to creep in, washing over him in waves. He subconsciously felt the tension of his body leave him little by little. It felt like hours had passed before he was completely under.

The last thing he heard before he fell into oblivion, although he dismissed it immediately as a figment of a dream, was a cry shrill cry for help.

It felt like mere moments had gone by for Edmund when he was awakened by a loud rapping on his door. He slowly got up and looked around him. Irritation immediately filled him when he saw that the sun wasn't even up yet. He pushed himself off the velvety sheets and ran his fingers through his hair.

The knocking persisted, louder and faster this time. Stretching and aching everywhere, he slowly made his way to the door. When he was inches away, he yelled out to the person outside

"You better have the most urgent news in all of Narnia or I swear on my crown, I will slice you in half!"

Edmund forcefully opened the door and to his surprise, Peter was standing there, hair tousled, still in his sleeping clothes with the most horrified look on his face. Behind him, Edmund saw subjects and servants running about, chaos everywhere.

"Pete, what's going on?" Edmund asked, stress creeping into his voice. This was enough to snap him wide awake.

He did not like the looks of things at all. Instinctively, Edmund reached for his sword. Peter looked close to tears now, but he struggled against it. Edmund searched his face for some sort of explanation. His older brother held him by the shoulders, bracing the dark-haired boy.

"Avalon's gone."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **I am so so sorry that it took me so long to update again! But no worries, another one is on the way. I'm not sure how often I can update but don't worry, this story still has a long way to go! I hope you're all still in this for the ride with me. Enjoy! Review please!

I don't own anything, except for my original character.

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><p>Suddenly, everything sounded louder and softer at the same time. The world spun at hyper speed yet also stood still. A thousand images flashed in his mind but the colours blurred before his eyes so fast, it made his mind spin. A flaming pain burst inside his chest, he felt like screaming but no sound came out. He looked down, expecting to see a gaping cut across his torso, to see blood flowing out him, but he saw nothing.<p>

Edmund couldn't breathe. Every breath was jagged; every heart beat threatened to break his ribs. Bullets of sweat rolled down his jaw and his hands went cold. His handsome face paled in an instant and a lost look flooded his eyes.

"Ed! Ed!" He heard his brother call out to him. But although Peter was inches from his face, it sounded like he was a thousand miles away.

"Edmund!" This time, he was brought back with a slap across the face. Peter's eyes were filled with worry as he stared intently at his brother. Edmund opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn't find his voice.

"What-what hap—ppened?" He finally stammered out.

Peter shook head, defeated.

"She was taken, Ed." Peter sounded to tears. "That's all I know so far."

Disbelief and rage filled Edmund's face. Peter knew what he was going to say and he was having none of it.

"Everything will be explained soon enough." He said, putting up a strong, kingly façade. "We shall assemble in the Throne Room."

Peter began to walk away. The news had already sunk in for him. He had decided that this was going to be dealt with like any other rescue mission. Yes, Avalon was family. Yes, he felt like bursting into a million pieces with shock and worry. But he knew that he couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgement if Avalon was to come home safely.

Something in him made him stop. Half way down the hallway, he turned to see that Edmund had not moved at all. Peter broke; he couldn't stand seeing him like that. So he ran back as fast as he could and quickly enveloped his little brother in an embrace. When he let go, he gripped Edmund by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes.

"Bathe, change, and take as much time as you need." Peter spoke kindly this time. "When you're ready, and only when you're ready, come to us."

When Edmund did not respond, Peter shook him and said "She's going to be alright. She's a fighter, Ed. Even if we have to turn over every island in Narnia, we will bring her home."

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><p>"<em>If you hadn't left her, none of this would have happened!"<em> The voice in Edmund's head cried out.

He was bent over his grand wooden desk, cluttered with papers, maps and assorted chess pieces.

"_If you just stayed, if you just resisted being sleepy, she would still be here!"_ He thought.

"_She's supposed to be here. She's supposed to be waking me up right now and forcing me out of bed."_ Edmund buried his face in his hands.

Edmund could not help but feel a little responsible for all this. He could have stopped it somehow; he could have prevented it all from happening.

"I was supposed to protect her!" He yelled out, slamming his fists on the hard table top.

If anything happened to her, Edmund knew he would never be able to forgive himself. If she could never come back, or worse, if she died, he would be broken beyond repair.

He let out a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Then something from under all the litter glittered in the sunlight that poured though the windows. Edmund pushed everything aside and felt his fingers touch cool metal. He held it up to the light; it was a thin silver ring.

Edmund turned it over and examined it closer. Half of it was a sword and half of it was a rose. The blade and the stem were tangled at one point; the hilt and the flower were entwined at another. A single red ruby, so intricately cut, resembled the rose bud and shined brilliantly when turned this way and that.

He knew this ring like the back of his hand. It was Avalon's ring. Edmund had given it her for her eighteenth birthday. It created quite a stir throughout the kingdom; everyone thought he had proposed. She was hardly seen without it for she wore it everywhere, especially to battle. When she had it on, no man dared to approach her, no matter how smitten they were by her. One look and they all thought of one thing; she was _his_.

Edmund closed his fist over the delicate ring. "She needs you, Ed, now more than ever." He whispered to himself. "You can't let her down."

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><p>"I don't think he's coming." Susan said to Peter as she walked up the steps of the Throne Room.<p>

There was a hushed whispering in the air as servants gossiped about the latest happening. Some of the guards, Trumpkin, the General and select Narnian knights were in attendance. All the monarchs were present, dressed in their very best, all except Edmund.

"Give him another minute, Su." Peter replied as he slouched on his throne.

A few feet from him, Lucy was in her sea green and silver dress, furiously chewing her nails and staring at the enormous double doors.

The entire room was filled with tension and anticipation. Although none of the Kings or Queens mentioned it to him, they all knew that how he reacted to this would define him as a leader. They knew that everyone's minds were on Edmund, waiting to find out how he would take this. It seemed selfish really, how some people could think of such superficial things when an innocent person was in danger.

"But do you think he should even be involved, Pete?" The High Queen asked. "We all know this would hit him hardest. Even if he comes, he might not be in the right state of mind to handle this logically. He might not be strong enough."

Without warning, the double doors flew open and the room stood still.

Edmund strode in, clad in his usual silver and scarlet, his silver crown shining brilliantly like a halo. His face was unreadable but the intensity in his eyes was undeniable. He stood tall and proud: the very definition of regal. He walked swiftly and kept his eyes straight ahead the entire time, ignoring the curious looks that were thrown his way.

"Why don't you ask him that?" Lucy whispered to Susan with a smile as she hurried back to her throne.

All the monarchs hastened to their places as Edmund neared them with every step. There was no doubt that the tension in the air eased somewhat and was replaced by a little relief. Even Susan could not contain her smile. Sure, she seemed so doubtful of Edmund but at least one of them had to prepare for a worst case scenario.

When Edmund took his place between Peter and Lucy, everyone couldn't help but stare at him for just a moment longer. Something had caught their eye. Avalon's ring was sparkling from a thin gold chain that hung loosely around Edmund's neck and rested just above his heart. Just like that, they all knew. Edmund was strong enough. For her, he will be.

Order was restored to the room as the five rulers sat down. King Caspian summoned Trumpkin and asked him to tell them what happened.

"They came in the dead of night, sire, and silently too. If it hadn't been for that shrill cry, we wouldn't have known that something was wrong." Trumpkin paused, unsure of how far to go.

"When you say 'we', who do you speak of?" Edmund inquired in an emotionless and even voice.

"Myself and two of my men, Your Highness." Said the dwarf as he gestured to two soldiers who stood in the front row of the assembly. Edmund nodded for him to go on.

"When we arrived in the gardens, we found a few casualties from what looked like a struggle. Four were dead but the rest were unconscious. I spotted a red smudge on one of the tree trunks in the garden. There were many more and they led into the forest."

They all understood what this meant. Susan had taught Avalon this trick with her arrow, in case something like this happened.

"We followed the trail, but it stopped cold in a clearing just a mile into the woods." Trumpkin said, ending his explanation.

A tense silence followed as the crowd watched their Kings and Queens lose themselves in thought. Finally Lucy asked the most obvious question of all.

"Why did this happen?"

No one could answer that question. But Trumpkin stepped forward once more and offered a solution.

"None in this room know, Your Majesty, but we have captured some people who do."

"Who? Bring them to us." Caspian ordered.

When Trumpkin and his men exited the room to fetch the prisoners, Susan dismissed the audience. Many silently grumbled for they all hoped to witness the entire affair.

"We beg your indulgence for we want to handle all this privately." The High Queen spoke with a rare severity in her voice.

"_In case things get out of hand."_ Edmund thought, hearing the underlying message in her voice.

He kept his eyes trained forward at all times, not wanting to see his families concerned looks. When the hall was emptied, Lucy reached out and held her brother's hand. None of them spoke, for they did not want the others to voice their fears. They all simply sat in silence, holding their composure and preparing themselves for what was to come.

Then, two knocks came from outside the double doors. It signalled the arrival of someone. The monarchs all steeled themselves, trying to predict what was behind the doors. Savages? Barbarians? Lunatics? Who could they be?

Finally, to put them all out of their misery, Peter called them in.

"Enter."

And the double doors opened.

They filed into the room in four neat columns, marching sluggishly. Their arms and legs were chained together; the sound of metal clanging against each other filled the room with every step. There had to be more than two dozen men, all dressed in grey clothes. It was the very same grey clothes that the Telmarine Army used to wear underneath their armor.

The men were all filthy, many of them bruised and wounded. Some of them looked at the Kings and Queens with indignation while others shivered with fear and humiliation.

"I thought you said some people, Trumpkin." Edmund said, getting on his feet. "This looks like a small troop to me."

Slight confusion was painted on all their faces as they watched the prisoners end their march a few feet from the thrones. Trumpkin looked back at them with a sad smile.

"Guess she wouldn't go down without a fight, Your Majesty."

Edmund couldn't help but smile. Despite the circumstances, he felt pride blossom in his chest. She was a fighter, he reminded himself of that.

"That's our girl." He heard Lucy whisper from behind him.

Edmund turned back to the others with a questioning look. They all looked back and forth between each other, trying to decide who was best to take the reins on this one. Then, Peter stood up and took deliberate steps towards the young dark-haired King. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"You are the diplomat after all. Go for it." Encouragement laced his voice. "But remember, head over heart."

Ed nodded and returned his strong glare to the prisoners before him. He stared every one of them down before picking one out at random.

"You."

Edmund pointed at him, then to the floor right in front of him, gesturing the prisoner to kneel before him. There was no pity, no emotion in Edmund's eyes. The man was released from his chains and stepped forward, bowing in front of the King.

"Explain to me. What are you? Is this a group, an army?" The Just King did not sound so just at all. There was ruthlessness in his voice as he spit every word.

"We are fair fighting army and we shall restore this land to its proper order." The man said in a low voice, no remorse in his tone. His accent was very thick, which suggested that he was a full blooded Telmarine like Caspian. He had a deep cut across his left brow that still gushed blood over cheek and his chin had a mark that resembled a forming bruise.

Edmund stared him down, fighting the urge to strangle the man. He grind his teeth and breathed in deeply, calming himself. Then, addressing all that stood before him, he said

"Who is of the highest command here? Step forward now."

A elderly man stepped forward and bowed before Edmund, as the one before him went back to his place. He had shaggy black hair and a goatee that highlighted his sadistic grin.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness." The man said, sarcasm thick in his voice.

"Are you the leader of this….this….what is this?"

"You might call this an uprising but we call this a fight for restoration." The man growled, eyeing the young man before him. "And no, I am not strong enough to have instigated this fight for justice."

Edmund's eyes widened.

"Justice? And how exactly have you been wronged?"

"You came in from nowhere and took away what was ours. You claimed all of our possessions as your own. Then, you forced us to live with…with….with these abominations! You have brought back the vermin which our forefathers have shed blood to exterminate. And you!" he roared and pointed a filthy finger at King Caspian.

"You are a disgrace to your people! You have turned your back on everything the Telmarines have built."

"ENOUGH." Caspian yelled out.

Edmund turned and saw that the Telmarine King was on his feet and shaking from head to toe. Susan reached out a hand to her husband but pulled back hesitantly. Caspian walked to the man, his eyes red with anger.

"You fool! You have no idea what you are talking about for if you knew the true history of our people, you would be eating your words."

"Traitor!" yelled the man

"Everything you have accused them," Caspian said, pointing back at the Kings and Queens of old "are the fault of our people."

"Lies!" protested the crowd.

"We took away their lands. We took away their freedom. We came in from nowhere and burned our way through this place, claiming all that was theirs to be ours."

Caspian pulled the man up by the collar and looked his straight in the eye.

"Have you wondered why this place was called NARNIA? Why they are called NARNIANS? And we called TELMARINES? This is their home. We massacred their families, their ancestors and made a home over their graves. Now, tell me, who are the real barbarians? Who are the real heartless savages?" he yelled out inches from the man's face.

"We must be grateful because despite all the injustice we have caused them for thousands of years, they found it in their hearts to let us keep our homes. When they should have imprisoned us all, they chose to let us all coexist with them. Our forefathers were never as kind."

Caspian was still shaking when he set the elderly man down on his feet.

"Yes, I turned by back on everything my father and my father's father built. But they built an empire on blood and murder. Is that what you're proud of? "

Caspian ended his speech, gasping breath. A heavy air settled over the captured men. It was evident that some of them, probably the ones with shaky faiths in their cause, were converted back to sensibility by Caspian. The Telmarine King stomped back to his throne and resumed his silence, although his intensity was enough to start a fire.

Edmund faced their captives once more.

"Why her? If you were after our reign, why involve her? She is only a soldier."

The kneeling Telmarine gave out a hoarse laugh. For the first time, Edmund saw the grit and dirt in his teeth and thought that maybe they were a far more savage group than they thought.

"You may believe that our cause is naïve, King Edmund, but know that we are not fools. She is no ordinary soldier, that is clear to the entire kingdom. She has you wrapped around her little fingers."

The man started to give another sadistic laugh when he choked and spat out blood on the floor.

"She is also quite beautiful, Your Majesty." He said.

"If we bend her enough, oh, we can break her. My, my. The things that can be done to her." He smiled a devilish grin, his teeth painted red with his own blood.

Edmund pulled the man up by his collar and lifted him in the air.

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I swear in the name of Aslan, I will start a bigger war than you intended to fight." He growled inches from the man's face.

"Too late." The Telmarine whispered back.

In one swift movement, Edmund dropped him on the floor and drew his sword. He held it against the lunatic's neck and pressed it just hard enough for the blade to pierce through the skin. A drop of blood ran down the man's neck.

"Edmund!" he heard Susan call out.

"Don't let him get to you. He's only pushing your buttons!" She urged him. He felt his sister's presence behind him. She placed a hand over his and together, they lowered his silver sword.

As she led the Just King back to his throne, High King Peter summoned Trumpkin and told him to lead the prisoners back to the dungeons.

"I want total surveillance over them at all times. Keep the dedicated ones apart, I don't want them trying anything." Whispered Peter.

When the room was deserted, the Kings and Queens finally let out a sigh and lost their composures. Caspian and Edmund were still fuming but Peter just looked dead worried.

"Well, that still doesn't answer all our questions." Susan said, staring straight into the distance although seeing nothing.

"I did see some men who looked like they weren't supposed to be here at all." Lucy answered.

"I think they were simply here by mistake, like they didn't want to be part of this." She added.

Peter started to smile, seeing her suggestion before she even said it.

"I get where you going, Lu." He mused. "We can have Trumpkin look around, see who's the weakest link. Tonight, we can find out the whole story from him."

"That's a great idea." Caspain said. "It would be useful too if we could get a few of them on our side. Whatever will happen, it would be to our advantage if we could have allies behind enemy lines."

Things were starting to look hopeful, Edmund had to admit. But the noise in his head drowned out the sound of his family talking. He leaned back into his throne and closed his eyes. His fingers found the delicate metal of Avalon's ring and turned it around and around, memorizing every detail. Sleep started to pull on him when he suddenly sat up with a jolt.

Somewhere, thousands of miles away, Avalon Trevine was screaming.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Hey, guys! Here's Chapter 10. The story is picking up its pace so I hope you all enjoy! Please please please drop by and give a review. Again, this is my first fanfic so I really wanna know what you guys think. And it really inspires me to write more! So if you want me to update faster, REVIEW REVIEW!

I own nothing, except my original characters.

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><p>Edmund sat on the grass and stretched out his legs. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was about to set. Gone were his royal threads from that morning. Instead, he was dressed in a simple white cotton shirt and khaki pants with dark brown leather boots to match. Avalon's ring dangled from the chain and rested just above his heart, bouncing the tiniest bit with every heartbeat that vibrated through his chest.<p>

It was hard to believe that he was in the very garden, so peaceful and serene, that Avalon was abducted. He saw the marks on the ground where swords must have fallen and the holes in the trees where arrows landed. He saw the signs of a struggle, one that Avalon lost, but he did not want to look at them for he did not want to jump to conclusions of what happened to her.

The boy was very much immersed in his thought that he did not hear the sound of people coming from behind him. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, but to his relief, it was only Trumpkin.

The dwarf bowed low and gestured behind him. As commanded, he brought with him a prisoner.

Edmund looked at the captive behind Trumpkin. He did not look older than the young King himself, perhaps even younger. There was fear in his eyes and he cowered when Edmund looked him over. He was thin, very fragile-looking, and as pale as ivory. With one look, Edmund knew he was not a threat.

"Take the chains off." Said the young monarch, pointing to the shackles that bound the boy's arms and legs.

Although it was probably unnecessary, Edmund kept an arrogant aura about him. He wanted to intimidate the boy, even just a little. He put a hand on the dagger that rested in its leather case attached to his hip.

Once the chains were off, the captive immediately fell on his knees, surprising Edmund. He was shaking from head to toe.

"Your Majesty, forgive me!" He exclaimed, bowing his head low. It sounded like he was swallowing back his tears.

"You must know that I had no choice, King Edmund! They took her from me!"

"Took who?"

The prisoner lifted his head, his watery eyes bore into Edmund's.

"My sister."

His words hit Edmund in the gut. The boy before him looked back at him with the same look that Peter had when Lucy did not return with Susan during the battle against Miraz. It was the same look Susan and Lucy have whenever Edmund and Peter would leave for battle. It was a certain look of worry that can only be made by sibling's unconditional love.

"Sit." Edmund commanded him. The boy was still shaking but he did what he was told. The young King sat next to the captive.

"What is your name?" inquired Edmund without looking at the boy next to him.

"Pablo, sire." The boy said, choking slightly.

"Tell me everything you know, Pablo." Said, Edmund.

Pablo shook his head once more, making Edmund look at him. He avoided the King's gaze and stared straight into the woods.

"I can't. I'm sorry." He said, sobs attempting to burst from his throat.

"If I say anything, if they find out, my sister….." he trailed off. Pablo started rocking himself on the spot, holding his head between in hands.

"Your sister will be safe." Edmund said, conviction in his voice.

"I promise you in the name of Aslan, that I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety of you and your family." Said the Just King, as he looked straight into the boy's eyes, showing his sincerity.

The captive swallowed hard and wiped the tears that spilled over his cheeks. He looked filthy and brittle, ghostly pale and dirt smudged across his face.

"My sister is all I have left after my parents died. About a year ago, my sister, Trina, became engaged to a man named Marcus Valdez. He's a charming young man, and very charismatic. I approved, for I thought he was everything she needed, and she loved him with all her heart. They were married a few months ago, and then Trina noticed that he started acting quite strangely. He became temperamental and aggressive. It worried her greatly. One night, he hit her." Pablo paused, taking a deep breath in.

"You see, he came from a line of lords under the Telmarine regime. By blood, he was to be lord as well under King Caspian. But when you arrived and restored Narnia back to the way it was a thousand years ago, he lost that. He did not handle equality well. He believes, as well as other Telmarines, that you took everything from him when you returned."

He stopped and looked at the dark-haired King. Edmund simply nodded for him to continue.

"Trina found out that he had started a revolution. They want to wage war against you and the Narnians. He claims that they will put things back where they belong: in Telmarine hands. At that point, she wanted out for she did not believe in that, and because he was no longer the man she knew.

But Marcus wouldn't have it. No matter how hard she tried, he kept his hands around her so tight and he refuses to let go. She is the reason why I joined this revolution. I never took part in anything and, I think, as courtesy to Trina, Marcus let me stay. I did not want to be a part of this, but I couldn't leave my baby sister.

About a month ago, I started working here, in Cair Paravel, as a roving guard and…."

Edmund stopped Pablo with a confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry but you work here? How come I have never seen you?"

"I'm a night time roving guard, Your Highness. You are all to be inside the castle already when I start my shift."

Edmund nodded and gestured for him to continue with his story,

"Marcus learned about my job and demanded that I get his men in. When I refused, he tied a rope around Trina's neck and threatened to hang her off a tree."

Pablo heard Edmund take a deep breath in between his teeth. The King could feel his pain, after all, the lives of his two sisters have been threatened before. He understood now, even without explanation, why Pablo did what he did.

"They made the plan and all I was to do was to get them through the woods and into the perimeters of the castle. I prayed to Aslan that you were all inside because I knew that they would never be able to take down Cair Paravel. But that wasn't what they after."

Pablo stopped, not knowing what to say next. He looked at Edmund whose gaze was else where. The young royal was deep in thought, debating whether he believed in Pablo or not, whether he could be trusted or not.

"What happened this morning?" Edmund asked suddenly after a very long silence. Pablo jumped slightly at the sound of Edmund's dark tone.

"Your Majesty?"

"How. Was. She. Taken." He asked again.

The prisoner took a deep breath in, knowing they had reached the tricky part of the conversation.

"When they were already inside, they waited in the woods, just beyond here and not very deep into it." Pablo said, pointing to the thick veil of trees directly in front of them.

"I stood at the very back, but even behind all those men, I could still hear you, Lady Avalon and Queen Lucy talking. They were all very impatient, but Darius, the one Marcus assigned to lead them in this, had commanded that they wait. I did not know what he was waiting for, but they all obeyed him."

The hair on the back of Edmund's neck stood up. He was utterly horrified knowing that, while they were talking and laughing, dozens of pairs of eyes were on them, all those men were waiting to strike. He looked at the spot on the ground where the three of them lay last night and then straight into the trees where the men were watching them. The distance was not very far.

"I heard you say that you were taking Queen Lucy up to bed. Then, I understood. Darius whispered that they were to get ready. I wanted to scream, something, anything to alert Avalon. But I could not. It took quite a while that I thought they were not going to push through with it. But without warning, they quietly rushed out of the woods and swooped in on her."

Pablo looked at Edmund. His eyes had gone blank but he nodded to tell him to go on.

"I was the last to leave the woods. When I was already there," Pablo pointed to a place where there were no more three but a few bushes were around. It was the very edge of the forest.

"The first thing I saw was Avalon taking down two men. A lot of the soldiers were already on the ground, some bleeding hard. She had managed to get a sword from one of them and she was fighting them off incredibly. I actually thought for a moment that this was going to fail and that she was going to be okay. I was taken down when she hurled a man off of her and stabbed him. He fell backwards onto me and took me down with him. My head hit the ground hard and I fell unconscious."

"So you don't know what happened to her or what they're going to do with her?" Edmund asked. His hopes started to dim.

Pablo saw this and quickly replied.

"All I know was that they had a carriage waiting about a mile into the woods. It was used to transport her so that no one will see. Everyone else was to escape on foot. The revolution does not have a lot of resources yet."

"And where did they take her?" Edmund inquired eagerly.

"I suspect they brought her to Marcus' hideout. I'm sure he is the one who has plans for her."

"Where's his hideout?"

Pablo fell silent. Edmund sensed that he was still on the fence about helping them. The monarch understood this very well. After all, he knows what's it's like to be ready to do everything and anything for family.

But Edmund knew that Pablo is an important piece of the puzzle. Pablo needed to be on their side.

"Look, here's the thing. Marcus is so determined to get things back in Telmarine hands. But he will not only be hurting us and the Narnians; he will burn down this entire nation. Trust me, there will be nothing left but ashes of this place."

Edmund saw that there was still doubt in Pablo's hands. He felt the small drop of hope slowly slipping from him.

"She's just a girl, Pablo. She's as innocent as your sister. Avalon is everything to me, just like how Trina is for you. "

Pablo turned to Edmund, listening hard. His eyes bore into Edmund's searching eyes.

"He has his hands around another person's neck. Don't let him hurt anyone else. Help us stop him. No one else needs to get hurt. Don't let him win." This time, the Just King was pleading.

A long pause followed and Edmund just stared straight. He couldn't tell what the boy beside him was thinking. He did not want to think of what was happening to Avalon right now.

Edmund exhaled hard and pulled his legs up to his chest and locked his arms around them. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, vibrating up his knee. His feet stared to tap on the grass and he immediately stopped himself. His composure was breaking and he knew that he was close to letting it show.

After what felt like the longest time, Pablo spoke up.

"His hideout is in the heart of the Western Forest. I can find it." He said, turning to the young king.

"I will help you, King Edmund. Not only for Trina, not only for Avalon, but for Narnia."

Edmund broke into a smile and got to his feet, pulling the lad up with him. His hope was renewed. It blazed brighter than ever, glowing within him. A small part at the back of him mind said that this wouldn't last long, that something was bound to go wrong along the way. But Edmund shrugged the voice off as he embraced his new comrade.

"Welcome to the Narnian Army." Said the Commander-In-Chief. "Let's get to work."

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><p>Black. That was all she saw. She blinked hard multiple times, trying to see through the dark but all that could be seen were vague forms. She tried to move, tried to feel her surroundings, but she found herself unable to.<p>

She breathed deeply and willed herself to full consciousness. She became completely aware of her body. She was seated on something cold and hard, her back was pressed on what felt like hard stone. She bent her head backwards and tried to feel the texture with her skull. Yup, definitely roughly cut stone.

Her arms were spread out wide; they felt like they were pulled open by cuffs and held that way by chains. She tried to move her legs but they felt sore and heavy. When she kicked left and right, she heard the sound of metal clanging. Yes, she was surely chained.

Avalon bowed her head and tried to recall the events that led to this. She closed her eyes hard and forced herself to remember. Colors and images blurred in her mind like an abstract painting. Everything was foggy and absurd.

"C'mon, Avalon. Think!" she told herself, banging her head lightly on the wall behind her.

In her min's eye, she saw Edmund giving her a smile before walking up the steps. Then, she saw stars, hundreds of them. A noise came from the trees. They came at her out of nowhere. She was winning; she was going to be okay.

But then, there was a painful strike to her shoulder. She was pinned down. Someone was carrying her on their shoulders. There was a carriage. A man was talking. He said her name. He said he was going to take down the Narnians. She heard herself scream and another painful blow to her. Then, nothing.

Avalon came back to reality. She became vaguely aware of tightness around her right shoulder. She moved it, only to be met by an excruciating pain. The girl sucked air between her teeth, seething. She exhaled again and locked her jaw, biting her cheek.

Again, she moved her shoulder, but ready for the pain. It came but she resisted it, focusing on examining it by sense. It felt like a big wound, a cut mostly. It definitely felt deep and the pain reached her collarbone. She wiggled her shoulder and determined that someone must have bandaged it tight.

Before she could do anything else, Avalon heard voices coming from outside her holding area. It was a man's voice but he was talking in a high pitched tone that could only be called fear. A deeper voice answered him, he sounded far calmer than the other.

Footsteps became evident and Avalon tensed, realising they were coming for her. She calmed herself, albeit forcefully, trying to think positively.

"Everything's going to be okay, Avalon. You're a fighter. You will make it through this." The girl whispered to herself, although her heartbeat raced as the footsteps sounded louder and louder.

"I'm sure the Pevensies and Caspian are already looking for me. I'll be home soon." She thought, but her heart was pounding do hard, she could barely hear herself.

Then, a door straight ahead of her, one she did not see in the dark, was pulled open. A warm light flooded the room as two man walked in, one carrying a torch.

At first, she could only see the face of the one carrying the light. In an instant, she knew he was a Telmarine. Shadows danced across the stone walls with every flicker of the flame.

The second man was walking around, but his face was covered with a hood. After a few, although seemingly slow moments, he made his way to Avalon.

She was sure he could hear her heart. The sound of her heartbeat seemed so loud for her that she was almost sure it was bouncing off the walls and echoing loudly.

He stood right in front of her and straddled her, his face mere inches from her. Avalon tried to toss him off of her, but the combination of his weight and the chains proved that impossible. She hasn't even seen his face but his nerve to do that, to be in this position with her won him her hatred.

The faceless man pulled the hood off and revealed another Telmarine face. He looked young, but obviously older than her but not by much. He was handsome, with his rich tanned skin and big black eyes. He looked at her with a blank stare and a smile that was almost kind.

Avalon returned his gaze with one of absolute loathing. She thrust her head forward and collided with his head rather painfully. He fell backwards and onto her knee, dumbfounded. The sudden pain and erupted from her leg told her that she must be injured there too, but her anger helped her keep completely composed.

His eyes widened with shock and he touched his forehead where a gash had opened. Blood started to flow over, creating a red river down his eye and cheek. Then, his bewilderment turned to humor as he stood up and started chuckling.

"Is that any way to treat your host?" He said, amusement lacing his voice.

His voice was warm and deep, the accent clear. He was a Telamrine alright. He wiped his forehead, but it only caused the blood to smear and flow straight again.

"Is this any way to treat your guest?" Avalon spat back, acid dripping from every word.

The Telmarine chuckled again and shrugged his shoulders.

"Touché!" he laughed once more.

Avalon followed his pacing figure, not blinking at all. She started memorizing every detail about him as she could. He ripped a small portion of his cloak, folded it and held it to his wound.

"Well, the stories definitely don't do you justice, Avalon Trevine. We all have heard of your strength and your passion, that's why I sent all those men to pick up just one little lady. But I never expected you to be THIS strong or this feisty!" He said. Clearly, he was sadistic and insane or else he wouldn't be enjoying this so much.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" She yelled out, her fury over flowing.

The humor vanished from his eyes quickly and the color drained from his tanned face. He ran up to her and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. His fingers cut into her skin and jaw as he held her inches from him.

"Is that how you talk to a lord of Narnia?" he roared at her, deafening her ears.

Without warning, he let go of her and stuck her across the face. He hit her with so much force that Avalon's neck snapped to one direction, her hair flying across her face.

She felt a sting spread across her face and a warm liquid drip down from her cheek. A sadistic grin tugged at his lips once more.

"Oh, now look what you've done." He said, turning the gold ring on his left hand.

"You bled on my wedding ring. Tsk." The man ran a finger across the gold band, cleaning it.

He walked over to her again and grabbed her face once more, a little less aggressive this time. He touched the cut on her cheek that was made by his ring when he slapped her.

"Well, now we're even." He whispered to her.

Avalon glared back at him, restraining herself from spitting at him.

"Go to hell." She growled at her kidnapper.

He got up and started walking away, walking towards the door. He chuckled once more and pulled the door open.

"No, you will." He said and started to exit the room.

"YOU. ARE. CRAZY." Avalon yelled out, struggling against her chains and wounds.

She kicked hard and the sound of metal clanging filled the room. He turned back and faced her with a sick smile.

"I. Am. Marcus actually." He said, pressing a filthy hand to his chest. "Marcus Valdez. It's a pleasure, Miss Trevine."

And with that, he slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing through the room. The darkness enveloped Avalon once more.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>What do you think? Any ideas on what's gonna happen? I'd love to know your ideas and comments. Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **I am so so so sorry that it took a month before I could update again! I can't believe it's taken me this long! But anyway, here is Chapter 11 of She's A Lady. Hope you guys are still captivated by the story and are still in this with me. I love reviews so each and every single one is aprreciated. Drop by and tell me your thoughts, whether good or bad. :) Enjoy!

Again, I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.

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><p>Sunlight poured through the dome-shaped glass roof of High King Peter's study. The room was large and formed a perfect circle, painted with rich earthy colors: wooden brown, gleaming bronze, metallic silver and brilliant gold. A quarter of the room was His Majesty's personal collection of literature while another quarter of the room, adjacent to it, was a painting of the map of Narnia. There were several wooden yet elegant shelves and tables tastefully arranged throughout the room that held baubles, weapons, art and sentimental pieces own by The King.<p>

A glass case protecting His first crown stood next to the enormous gold and oak table that took up the center of the room. On top of the table were tiny figurines, almost like chess pieces, and a map that were often used by High King Peter and King Caspian in planning out strategies.

Behind the table was a large velvet cushioned chair and on the chair was the young King Edmund. He had sunk so low into the chair with his hand covering his eyes that one might have easily mistaken him to be asleep.

Queen Susan was standing by the window, staring into the far distance outside, while her little sister, Queen Lucy was on a comfy chair by the books, watching her older brother and brother-in-law argue yet again.

"No, _you're _not listening, Caspian." Peter said loudly, as he sliced his hand through the air.

He made his way back to his desk and surveyed the strategically positioned figures on the map, leaving the Telmarine King rooted in the same position. Caspian gave a heavy and irritated sigh, and then followed Peter to the table. The neared presence of the two jolted Edmund and he sat upright, listening to the two head monarchs.

"The first battalion must attack from here," Peter said, and moved a small figure forward

"To here." He stopped after a few squares.

"I beg to disagree." Caspian seethed through his teeth, struggling to keep his temper under control.

"How can you disagree? It's a perfect plan!" Peter yelled indignantly.

Once again, both of them went at it, their voices getting louder and higher with every word. Peter thought this while Caspian thought that. The argument started to get heated and out of hand. The noise had started a pounding in Edmund's head and he had had it. It was time for him to step in again, and be the bigger man, the deciding factor.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Edmund shouted over the two and got to his feet.

The sudden sound of his voice jolted Lucy and caught Susan's attention. Peter and Caspian's heads snapped up to face him, surprise written on their faces. Edmund took a deep breath and bowed his head, massaging the bridge of his nose. His heart was heavy and he felt like he had aged a decade over the day.

When he looked up, there was absolute seriousness in his eyes. He held a look and ferocity that he gained after nearly 20 years of reigning. Even though he was in a young man's body, Edmund couldn't be farther from it. He had the wisdom and the grace of an experienced ruler and soldier.

Edmund stepped forward and held the sides of the table. His eyes carefully surveyed the strategy map in front of him, imagining every move it symbolized. It didn't feel right to him. They needed a fresh opinion.

"What do you think we should do, sister?" Edmund said, looking at Susan who had returned her gaze to the scenery outside the window.

Susan turned her eyes to her fellow Kings and Queen before responding.

"Are we allowed to speak freely?" She asked carefully, conveying with her eyes and expression that suggested they might not like what she had to say.

At that, Lucy rose from her sitting position and joined the others at the table.

"Yes, of course." Edmund replied, easing his stance.

The Gentle Queen looked to the ground and audibly sighed as she made her way to the grand desk. She stopped by the glass case of Peter's crown and trained her eyes on the jewels, unable to look any of them in the eyes.

"I think that," she paused, folding her hands in front of her. "We shouldn't do anything."

She looked up to see the stunned look on each of their faces.

"Yet." Susan quickly added.

"What do you mean we shouldn't do anything? We have to save her!" Lucy yelled out, astonishment on her face.

"And we will! Just hold on a minute. Let me explain!" Susan said, reaching out to Edmund who had a blank expression on his face.

Peter looked extremely taken aback but gathered his wits enough and said "Okay then, go on."

"It has always been a protocol of ours, even during our time a thousand years ago, that if only two or three soldiers were abducted by a highly dangerous group or left behind during a mission, we would not act on getting them back. We would give them the honor of dying a warrior's death in the line of battle and move on without them. "

"Let a few die in honor than risk a hundred to die in vain." Peter whispered, uttering the words he said before.

"But this isn't like all those times. This is Avalon we're talking about!" Edmund rose to his feet.

"I know, I know. Let me finish." Susan cooed, pressing a pale hand on her brother's shoulder and making him sit back down.

"We can go two weeks to a month without acting. As a soldier, Avalon is very well aware of this rule. She will believe that she will not be saved. Therefore, they will believe she will not be saved. We will make them think they did all this for nothing, they will know we cannot be shaken that easily. We will give them the benefit of the doubt." Susan said with a sly smile.

"But we will save her, right?" Lucy chimed in, worry evident in her tone.

"Yes, of course. It is all a front, dear sister." Susan reassured.

"All the planning will be done in secret and only with selected comrades." Caspain said, catching his Queen's drift.

"What if they hurt her?" Lucy voiced another concern.

"They won't." Peter answered this time.

"She is too valuable. Even if they believe that we will not save her, if they're smart, they can use her against us in battle or in negotiating. They can attempt to turn her against us too. But no matter what, if they kill her, they will lose all the leverage they have against us. If they lose her, they lose any chance they have of winning."

Lucy smiled and everyone smiled along with her. Hey curiosity was very much prized by her fellow monarchs. She was far wiser than she knew. Lucy asks all the right questions which challenged everyone she met to come up with all the right answers as well.

The youngest Pevensie then turned her eyes to her brother.

"Well, Ed? What do you think?"

King Edmund pursed his lips and started folding the long sleeves of his tunic.

"It's perfect." He said in an even and slightly positive tone, after a long pause.

"We shall have the element of surprise, which is the most sought after weapon in battle. They will not know what hit them." Edmund added, with a smirk.

"So for the next few weeks, business as usual, am I right?" Lucy said.

"Yes. For this to work, and to insult them a little bit, we will act as if nothing happened." Edmund replied.

"I will still sail off for Ramandu's Island tomorrow." Peter stated his plans.

"For the whole week, Edmund and I will be going about the town. We will check on the agricultural development and economic status." Lucy voiced her things to do.

"I shall be occupied as well. This event has brought a few concerns to mind. I shall focus my attention on the Telmarine population, if none of you mind." Caspian, always the gentleman, said.

"Of course not, darling. No doubt, everyone would have heard that something is wrong. I shall arrange for us to address this matter and clear the air tomorrow, before Peter sails off." Susan muttered, already jotting down a speech.

With that, the monarchs eased their stances. They have accomplished the first step and a plan was being set in motion. For a moment, even just a moment, they could all breathe. But as silence fell upon the room, without a doubt, the five of them had one thing burning in their minds.

They hoped they were right.

They hoped Avalon was still alive.

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><p>The stinging on her cheek woke her up. Avalon struggled to open her eyes for her tears had dried up and clamped her eyelashes together. When they were finally ripped open, they were so itchy that Avalon squirmed a little.<p>

"Hey. Easy there."

Avalon jolted wide awake and completely gathered her wits about her. She was still the cave-like holding area. Two torches were stuck in the ground and filled the half-moon shaped room with yellow light and heat.

In the light, Avalon saw a woman's face inches from hers who staring intently at her torso area. Avalon looked down and noticed that she had wrapped a long and elastic cloth around Avalon's shoulders and chest and was making her way down to her abdomen.

"What are you doing?" Avalon said in a hostile voice. She thrust her trunk forward to push the woman off but as she did, an excruciating pain exploded within her.

"Stop it. You'll bleed again. These are freshly washed cloths." The woman chastised her as she resumed her work.

"Again, what are you doing?" Avalon said between breaths.

The woman chuckled and replied

"Well, I thought it would be pretty obvious that I'm bandaging you wounds."

"But why? Leave me to bleed to death. I'm sure you'll love that." Avalon nearly spat at her. She glared at the woman in the dim yellow light.

The woman smiled a little, but it was a sad one.

"I'm sure Marcus would but I don't." She said, straightening up and sitting in front of Avalon.

She was a Telmarine and very young, no doubt around the same age as Avalon, perhaps a little older. She had a beautiful face: tanned skin, perfectly arched nose and big black eyes that did not conceal her sorrow.

"I'm just as much of a victim here as you are." She whispered to Avalon.

The woman began packing up a box right next to her. Avalon saw that it contained several pieces of cloth, a variety of plants and bottles with different colored liquids. It was medical kit.

Avalon turned gaze back to the woman who, after packing up her box, seemed to have decided to stay.

"Who are you?" Avalon asked her. The woman seemed to hold no immediate threat to her, Avalon assessed, but she maintained caution.

"I'm Trina." She replied, pushing her hair midnight black hair out of her eyes.

"It's a pleasure, Lady Avalon."

There was no sarcasm, no anger in the woman's voice. Only politeness. She truly meant it. The captive laughed a little, it felt good to smile.

"People keep calling me that." Avalon said, smiling at the ground and looking herself over.

"You know, I'm not really a lady. I'm a soldier." She added, directing her stare at Trina.

The woman seemed to blush out of embarrassment of her mistake.

"Oh, I apologize. Everyone just calls you that, especially when you are with the Kings and Queens. We always just assumed you were one of their subjects as well."

Avalon smiled again as the thought of the Pevensies and Caspian invaded her mind. She thought of her home and all she would never see again. For a while, her mind drifted and her visitor did not seem to mind.

"They will never save me." Avalon whispered in a voice so low, Trina was sure she wasn't meant to hear it.

There was a look in Avalon's eyes that could crush a soul. It was defeat. It wasn't the kind that she would just let them kill her right then, right there. But it was more accepting the possibility that she might never see the light of day again, that she would never make it out of there alive.

She wanted to break down so bad. Thinking of it realistically, she would never be saved. As a soldier, they were told on their day to accept the fact that every sunrise might be their last. Avalon knew that when it came down to it, the Pevensies would not risk their army for one girl.

Even though they were family, Avalon was never given special treatment when it came to being a soldier. She knew her duties and her sacrifices. They all did. They weren't going to start cutting corners now.

_"I am going to die here."_

That was a thought she already accepted. Avalon wasn't going down without a fight, but it seemed inevitable that she will go down.

"Why don't you just leave?" Avalon suddenly broke the silence.

A look of hurt crossed Trina's face and she began babbling a slur of apologies as she began to get on her feet when Avalon stopped her.

"Oh, no. That's not what I meant! Sit down!" Avalon hastily added

As Trina began to sit back down, Avalon clarified.

"What I meant was, why don't you just leave this place? I mean, you said you're a captive as well. But it looks to me as if you're just as free as them."

Trina looked to the ground and started fingering her dark brown skirt.

"I wish I could leave. I want to more than anything."

"Well, why don't you?"

"I can't."

"Well, why not? What's stopping you?"

"Marcus."

Avalon rolled her eyes. Of course, that creep.

"I'm going to kill him." The soldier in Avalon kicked in once again. She meant what she said with all her heart. She would end that man.

"But I am not like you." Trina whispered

"You can't fight?"

"No, I can. But I can not hurt Marcus."

"Why not? He deserves it!"

"I cannot."

"Is he your god or something?"

"No."

"Then what is he?"

Trina looked Avalon in the eyes. When the black met the green, no words could describe the moment like it. Their eyes explained their stories in ways words never could. And they told more than Trina's next few words ever could say.

"He's my husband."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **I apologize for taking sooooo long to update this. I can't make ny promises as to when I can finish this, but I assure you that I already know how this will play out. It's only a matter of writing it down. Anyway, this is a long-is chapter, a peace-offering, because I took so long. I'll try to get another up as soon as I can. Please leave as many reviews and comments as you'd like. I love knowing what you guys think. Enjoy!

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><p>For the first time in the longest time, Avalon saw light. Real sunlight. And the color white. Coming to her senses slowly, she started hearing whispers around her. The air was warmer than usual and nothing seemed to hurt. She shifted slightly, careful not to move her bandages, when she realized her back wasn't pressed up against cold, hard, rocks. On the contrary, she felt cool sheets beneath her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and forced them to open again.<p>

"What the hell?" she murmured. She was still seeing light and the color white. The girl sat up and looked around her. She seemed to be in a huge white tent, big enough to be the size of a house, supported by large wooden beams. It let in much light and much air. Peeking through the openings, they seemed to be in the woods. Avalon looked down at her body. She was on a medium sized cot, cushioned by many sheets and a single pillow. Her torso was still bandaged tight and she was wearing her brown trousers. Besides the thin white sheet over her, she didn't seem to have anything else on. She pulled the sheet tightly over her body as she surveyed her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of infirmary.

"What in the world am I doing in an infirmary?" she mumbled to herself.

"Bring him here." A hushed voice said in the distance. It was a woman, and she sounded like she was in a rush.

Avalon strained her neck to get a glimpse. The woman seemed to be a nurse. Two men entered and hoisted a body on to a cot. The nurse immediate began poking her fingers here and there, probably trying to feel his wounds. Avalon stretched her body as much as she could, trying to see who the man was and what was wrong with him. But a splitting pain erupted in her side and she bent back down in pain with a grunt.

"I told you not to fidget about or you'll ruin your bandages again!" Trina suddenly appeared in the tent beside Avalon and announced her presence with a scolding. She pressed her hand against the injured girl shoulders and forced her lay back down. With a moan, Avalon eventually settled back down on the sheets.

"Maybe it would help if you tell your husband to stop beating me senseless. He knows he's not going to get anything out of me." Avalon managed to say between shaky, sharp breaths. "He's not very intelligent, that man."

Trina remained silent, tucking the sheets tightly around Avalon's thin body. In the course of her captivity, the girl has been beaten and starved. Her body was painted with black and blue, covered by constellation of cuts and splinters. Her ribs were starting to show and her cheeks were sunken. It was sad, tragic picture in comparison to the warrior they first brought in.

"Why am I out?" Avalon asked Trina, who had taken a seat by her bedside. "Does Marcus know I'm here?"

The woman sighed and folded her skirt neatly under her as she took a seat by the cot.

"I told him that if he didn't let me take you here, you would die." Trina answered, looking at Avalon with sad eyes. "I could only do so much for you in that bloody cave. You'll be glad to know he won't be bothering you for a few days, though. He's out into town doing who knows what." The woman rolled her eyes, twiddling her thumbs. Avalon let out a breath, but it came out sounding weak because her bruised ribs protested against her.

"Why is he even keeping me alive? I don't understand it at all. He's not going to get anything out of me and he can't use me against them either! I will not fight for him." She was exasperated.

Avalon had been in captivity for three months. For the first few weeks, she continued to hope that the Pevensies would still look for her. She knew the protocols, she knew that they wouldn't look for a lone soldier at the risk of hundred, but she couldn't help hoping against hope. But the weeks eventually blurred into months, and with every day that passed, her hopes grew dimmer. It was when she overheard Marcus' men talking about a gravestone in Cair Paravel that she lost all hope.

They were conversing about their experiences when went into town one day to talk to some of their spies and to check on the royals' reaction to Avalon's disappearance. They were met by an abundance of flowers being sold by street vendors and a parade headed to the castle. Trying to blend in, they bought a few and moved with the crowd, eager to see the cause of all the commotion. When they reached Cair Paravel, it seemed like they were all forming a line, waiting their turn for something. They reached the front of the line, and they were met a surprising sight. It was a tombstone, made of fine marble and silver, surrounded by dozens upon dozens of flowers. Etched on it were words that they least expected :_ "Here lies the memory of the beloved **AVALON TREVINE**, a sister, a friend, the soldier in Aslan's favor."_

Avalon did not want to hear the rest. Her breath had become jagged, she was practically hyperventilating at the horror of it. She knew this would happen, but that did not stop her heart from collapsing in her chest. She was still breathing, but everything in her had died. She was gone, yet the world kept on spinning. At that moment, Avalon realized she truly had nothing more to lose and nothing more to live for. But she would not allow herself to give up. She would keep on living, keep on fighting, even if it was all futile. She knew that would not last long, but for the life of her, she would go down giving them hell.

Trina finally lifted her gaze from her lap and responded.

"I do not know, My Lady." That earned her a glare from Avalon. "I mean, Avalon."

The injured soldier sighed, ignoring the pain that shot out from her broken ribs as she said so, and directed her eyes someplace else, someplace far away in her mind. She was consumed with thoughts of life and dying, of all the things she misses and all the words she wished she was able to say. Her thoughts were interrupted by lady sitting beside her,

"You have never mentioned anything about the, well, tomb." Trina finally found the courage to ask her about her so-called grave. She knew, even without asking, that it truly hurt Avalon. "How are you?"

"I knew it would happen. It was protocol." Avalon said in a steady voice, trying to make herself believe she was okay with the thought of dying in this forsaken place.

"But you are not fine with this." Trina had come to know her. Being this close to her end, Avalon gave her the privilege of seeing her vulnerable.

"No, I guess I'm not. He said I was not just anybody." Avalon finally admitted, returning her gaze to a far off place. "Perhaps I believed him too much. I still hoped they would save me."

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><p>The sun was setting on another day as Edmund hammered down a nail into a large wooden beam. He was helping rebuild the old vegetable market that had burned down a few weeks ago. Clad in a plain ocean blue tunic, black trousers and working boots, he was perched on a two story ladder and was assisting a middle-aged fellow in creating the structure of the roof. It was hard work, Edmund had been at it for hours, and sweat had traced patterns across his skin from his forehead to his back.<p>

"How does this look, Sir?" Edmund called out to the mad on the other end of the long wooden beam..

"It's perfect, Your Majesty." The man replied, smiling behind his moustache. "And I am no knight, Kind King. You do not need to call me 'Sire'."

Edmund laughed as he wiped his brow and began descending the ladder,

"It is a term of respect, dear man. You do not need to be a knight to be treated and conversed with respect." He smiled up at the elder fellow when he reached the ground. He received an equally warm response in return.

One might see this as strange work for royalty. But the people greatly appreciated the sincerity and genuine interest of their ruler and Edmund appreciated the distraction. Ever since Avalon's abduction, he buried himself in his work. While the sun was in the sky and Narnians were awake, Edmund kept himself busy and preoccupied with every task imaginable. Edmund welcomed every opportunity to be out and about, unwilling to face his thoughts and fears for Avalon. Those come later, like demons in the night, alive behind his eyelids in the dark. They taunted and terrified him in his sleep, slipping into his dreams. He hardly slept since the night Peter woke him with the news of the kidnapping.

Straightening his tunic, Edmund felt the cool metal of Avalon's ring brush his chest. It remained hanging off the chain around his neck, safely tucked under his shirt. He discreetly fished it out from under the cloth and held it in his hand. He turned the small thing in his fingers, watching the sun catch the ruby in its light.

"Ed," Lucy came up behind him, her skirt lifted as she carefully trudged the muddy ground "are you ready?"

The young queen accompanied her brother daily in their charitable works. In the weeks that passed, she preoccupied herself with farm work and home making duties, assisting the women of the town in returning to their normal ways. As insignificant as she felt her contributions were, it was a comfort to the people to know that they leaders were not only aware of their woes, but were one with them in seeking a solution.

Edmund took the basket of vegetables from his sister's dainty hand and offer her his arm.

"Let's go home, Lu." He whispered, exhaustion lacing his voice.

Hearing the underlying sadness in his tone, she let him walk her to her horse, assist her on it and lead the way home without a word.

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><p>Edmund absent-mindedly walked through the halls of Cair Paravel, trying to rub the exhaustion from his eyes. It was after supper and he wanted nothing more than to retreat to his room and be left alone. The months that followed Avalon's abduction took a toll on him; even the most unproductive day managed to make him feel as if his bones were made of lead and his blood was molten lava through his veins. The demons at the back of his mind haunted him relentlessly. He could not eat, could not sleep; he could barely function at all.<p>

Peter and Caspian frequently assured him that they were maintaining their efforts in finding Avalon. They had always been in charge of strategies for war. The youngest king did not bother himself too much with the battle plans for Edmund was smart enough to know that, even though he was closest to Avalon, it was for that very reason he could not help. His emotions would cloud him too much. He could hardly focus on the most mundane tasks without thinking about whether she was dead or alive.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." A young faun called out to him. Edmund instinctively straightened up and widened his eyes as he turned to face the servant.

"His Majesty, King Peter, asked you to meet him in his study immediately." She said, her high-pitched voice sounded like wind chimes.

He thanked her in a voice no louder than a whisper and silently made his way to Peter's study. A small voice in his head wondered why Peter needed to see him this late at night, but he did not have the energy to ponder about it too much. After two quick knocks on the door, Edmund let himself in and found his entire family assembled in the room.

"Did I miss a memo or something?" He asked as he gently closed the door behind him.

Peter was seated at the grand chair behind his desk. Caspian was standing beside Peter, his hands braced on the side of the desk. Lucy and Susan were both seated in front of them. The formality of their postures hyped up his fear and awareness.

"What's going on?" Edmund quietly inquired as he quickly took his place on Peter's other side.

With a deep breath in, Peter turned to him. "We found Avalon."

Edmund's jaw dropped open and his eyes widened immediately. But before he could find it in him to be happy, he realized they were still rather quiet. "Then what's wrong? Is she…?" He could not find it in him to say the word _dead._

"No!" Caspian jumped in when he realized what Edmund implied. "She's alive and well. But that's the problem."

"What's wrong with that?" Lucy asked. Apparently, Edmund was not the only clueless one in the room.

"She was found in the infirmary." Caspian was still met by Lucy's confused stare. "Why would captors go to great lengths to take care of their victims who already thought to be dead?"

"Would you rather she be black and blue instead, Caspian?!"

"That is not what I meant, Lu."

"Then what are you actually trying to say?!"

"Are you presenting the possibility that Avalon turned on us?" Susan said in a quiet voice. She was looking at the ground, at nothing in particular, seeing something very far away.

Edmund felt his older brother stare at him. He could not guess what his expression looked like. He suddenly felt very numb and very cold.

"That is not what we are saying, Ed." Peter whispered slowly. "We are just trying to piece together what's going on."

Edmund was still in a state of cold stillness when he replied. "What's going on is that Avalon is not here, where her rightful place is. And we are continuously wasting time discussing why she is in an infirmary when we should already be there."

"Ed!" Caspian called out to him when he started to turn away. "I…" The Telmarine King sighed. "I apologize for my poor choice of words. I did not mean to imply things that would offend you. Or you." He said as he turned to Lucy.

Caspian sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Just forget everything I have just said. We know where she is. We know where they are. Trumpkin has already been sent to inform the First Battalion." He smiled crookedly at Edmund.

"Do we still have the element of surprise?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, we do." Peter answered. "As far as we know, Marcus does not know a thing. He only surrounds himself with his trusted advisors. They do not see the others changing sides. Marcus does not pay attention to those below him. He thinks that it is a right to have their unwavering loyalty and support. He is an idealist, but he is also cruel. Once they have seen the flaws in his ideologies, they were willing to gain information in exchange for pardon. We have managed to send back some of his former followers whom we have converted to our side to gather intel for us. We do not know a lot, but we know enough to nip this in the bud."

Silence took over the room, a sense of hope and triumph gripping the monarchs. Peter and Caspian proceeded to inform them about the battle plan, moving the different pieces on the map laid out on Peter's desk in order for them to visualize the actions. Susan and Lucy were instructed to remain at Cair Paravel, much to their ladies' dismay.

"For the millionth time, sweetheart, we are not keeping you here because you are a woman." Caspian patiently told his wife, ignoring the dark glare she was directing at him. "In case anything should happen, we need you to protect the castle. It is our seat of power and it must never be unguarded."

A knock on the door pulled them all away from their planning. "Who is it?" Peter called out. The rescue mission was still kept under wraps and they could not afford any unauthorized people sneaking a peek at the plans.

"Trumpkin, Your Highness." The dwarf called out from behind the great doors. Peter summoned him in.

"The First Battalion has been informed, Your Majesties." He said, bowing his head in respect. "We are ready at your signal."

Caspian looked to Peter for instructions. Peter turned to Edmund.

"Tell them to prepare themselves now. We ride out for the Western Forest at dawn." The corner of Edmund's lips twitched the slightest, almost a grin. "Let's bring her home."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>There you go! Once again, please leave a review! It would be greatly appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much for hanging in there with me! I hope you guys like this chapter. Please read and tell me what you think. i love hearing from you guys. Much love!

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><p>Edmund found himself shaking as he checked his sword and armour. The plan was well underway and the soldiers were already in their respective positions. The young king was positioned between Peter and Caspian, both of whom were preoccupied with their armours as well. Edmund looked up and surveyed his surroundings.<p>

Many years ago, Aslan entrusted to him the Western Wood. It became his little kingdom to protect. He knew the place like the back of his hand, and in return, it prospered and grew. But that was centuries ago, when Narnia was at peace and there were no Telmarines to please. What used to be his home became a stranger. Under the care, or lack thereof, of the Telmarines, Narnia grew savage, and so did his beloved Western Wood. It no longer responded to him like it used to. Its air was cold and harsh, its trees stiff. The Woods came back to life, but it no longer held a sense of trust for any human.

When Edmund returned to his complete senses, he realized that the woods fell oddly quiet. Except for the occasional movement of horses, it was like they did not exist. The trees were thick enough to block the moon's light; it made it very hard to see. They could not bring torches either. Edmund could hardly see past the men two horses on his sides. He knew what it meant. It was time to strike.

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><p>The darkness stretched on and on for Avalon. She had lost her sense of time. She could no longer tell if it was night or day, or how many hours had passed. For all she knew, it had only been seconds. Everything expanded and grew in the darkness. It was like losing a hold on reality. She tried, once again, to find something, anything, to fixate her eyes on. A spot of light, perhaps, or any other color than black. The voices in her head grew louder, and more frantic.<p>

Footsteps resounded above her. The walls began to shake and dust from the ground above her showered down on her. She did not realize that she had been facing down until she felt the rocks and pebbles hitting the back of her neck. Avalon moved around a little, hearing the sound of the chains that bound both her arms and legs. Unable to hit herself with her palms, she violently shook her head from side to side.

"Snap out of it, Avalon! You're imagining things again!" She yelled at herself. Avalon had been locked up for so long, she was uncertain of what was real and what was not. She had imagined so many times that Edmund would ride in majestically on his horse and rescue her. She thought this was just another dream.

The door to her prison was thrown open so suddenly, the soft glow of a torch blinded her momentarily. Before she could see who had entered, she felt the chains from her hands and feet become undone. She knew she should have immediately fought back, but the months in captivity had dulled her reaction time. Avalon had become too weak, nearly starved to death, and delusional.

She was roughly pulled to her feet and dragged out of the prison. It became immediately clear to Avalon how deep underground she was. They appeared to be dashing through tunnels carved entirely from the soil. In the faint light of the torches that lit the archways, Avalon registered the frantic movements of those around her; women fleeing to and fro, men strapping on leather vests and sheaths of swords, children sobbing for their mothers. Gathering her wits about her, Avalon saw that she was being dragged out of by Marcus and his right hand man, Khan. He was a gigantic man, with dark emotionless eyes, dark hair and sunburnt skin. Everything about him screamed doom and gloom, as if he was born from the shadows.

Avalon willed her feet to move under her. The cuts in her feet made it impossible to walk properly, so she stumbled to keep pace with the two men. She tried to pull away, to run from them, but Khan had her by the hair and Marcus had her by the arm. His nails had dug into the pale, sagging skin of her forearm, droplets of blood slowly oozed out beneath his fingers. As she struggled against them, Avalon thought she saw Trina standing outside a burning house, frozen on the spot.

Several houses were burning; the cries of children were filling the night. Armoured soldiers were attacking Marcus' poorly armed men. His men were dying left and right, but he paid no attention to any of them. He was walking with a sense of purpose that made Avalon's blood run cold with fear. Before she could make another run for it, Marcus and Khan ducked her behind a house and put a bag on her head. They yanked her back up back of her neck and continued marching forward. Avalon could hear the sounds of battle from under the canvas bag. She felt the heat of the flames and the ground beneath her went from rough to soft. They were no longer walking on bare ground; they were walking on grass. They dragged her deeper into the forest.

Avalon began to yell out. This was where they would kill her, of that she was sure. She wasn't going down this way. If she was to die, she would die looking at the men who will draw the life from her. She yanked her arms as hard as she could and gave all her strength into a final attempt to escape. No such luck. As she fought against them, she could feel a presence in front of her. Not Marcus, not Khan, for they were maintaining their iron grip on her. She could hear them too. The rustle of metal that was so familiar to her. She could feel herself stirring, as if waking from a dream.

"Edmund!" She cried out with all her might. The men beside her pulled her back and forced her to the ground. Marcus laughed hard beside her.

"Even blind, she senses you, young Pevensie. Perhaps you truly are more deeply bound than you let on." Nothing followed. No one answered.

"Come out, come out. There is no need to hide. We know you are here. She knows you are here. Let us not play games." There was a sound of rustling metal again. And a voice that made Avalon's heart soar.

"We aren't play games, Marcus. You're surrounded. Let her go." Edmund's voice rang through the silence.

"Aren't you supposed to negotiate with me? Like your kingdom for her life." Avalon felt herself be wrenched to her feet by her hair. The bag was torn from her head. The sudden return of her vision made Avalon dizzy. She squinted and blinked hard until the pictures were clear and steady. Edmund was a good fifty feet away, a tiny figure from where they stood. He was backed by Peter, Caspian, and a small army of soldiers.

In one smooth motion, Marcus pulled out a dagger from his belt, circle his arm around Avalon's neck and held the dagger to her throat. He held it firmly in place that even the tiniest movement from Avalon caused the knife to cut into her skin. Avalon fought the urge to struggle when she felt her skin open and blood trickled down her neck. She and Edmund locked eyes, and from far away, she could see the pain he so vigilantly tried to hide.

"This is not about her, Marcus. This is about you threatening the peace of Narnia." Caspian yelled out.

"Peace?" Marcus said, mocking the King. "You are the ones who destroyed the peace, you ungrateful traitor!"

"Enough!" Peter shouted. "Look around you! Do not be a fool. There is no need to waste precious Telmarine blood. We do not want a war with your people. We have lived in peace for half a decade. There is no need for violence. You will surrender this instant!"

Marcus gave another harsh laugh. From the corner of her eye, Avalon could see his dark stained teeth. He could have been handsome once, but now, he was simply a maniac.

"Over my dead body." He muttered. Avalon was unsure if anyone else heard it but her. She locked eyes with Edmund. His eyes were hard and steady, sending a message only she could read. _"Now."_

Avalon took a deep breath in and tightened her grip around the wrist that held a knife to her throat. "So be it." She said. With new found strength, Avalon pulled his arm away from her neck, barely feeling the knife slide across her skin. She jumped out of his reach, twisting his arm swiftly as she turned to face him. She heard a joint pop in his disfigured arm and he fell on his knees. Marcus gave out a cry of pain as Avalon forcefully grabbed the dagger from his hand.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Khan reach for his sword and advance toward her. Ignoring the agony in her cut up feet, Avalon jumped up and gave him a roundhouse kick to the head. The giant was down with a single blow. He fell with a loud and dull thud on the ground, his sword still in its sheath.

A loud cry made Avalon turn around in time to see Marcus charging at her with a sword. She instinctively stepped aside, just away from the sword's point, and grabbed Marcus' hand when it was inches from the side of her face. She wrenched the weapon from his grip and slipped behind him. With a growl, she turned the sword in her hand and drove it through his back. The sword sliced through his chest, glinting scarlet in the dim light. His blood dripped from the metal, staining the front of his tunic. Marcus gave a gasp, a look of fright and shock painted on his face.

"Did you really think you could break me?" Avalon hissed in his ear, feeling his blood stream from his back, down the sword's hilt and on her fist. It was oddly difficult to talk.

"This is not the end." Blood spewed from his mouth, but he kept breathing anyway.

"Yes, it is. Narnia will move on. This will all just be a memory. And you?" Avalon pulled the sword back. The steel rang clear into the night as it separated from his body swiftly. "You just die."

Marcus's body fell to the ground face down. He was dead. Avalon towered over him now, slowly feeling the reality of the situation sink in. She heard the sound of metal movement, and knew that they were making their way to her. Avalon did not tear her eyes away from her captor's unmoving body. With her neck bent low, she felt liquid dripping down her neck. She suddenly felt lightheaded. Avalon reached up with her free hand and touched her neck. It came away red. It wasn't Marcus' blood, or Khan's. Somehow, she knew that it was undoubtedly hers.

"Avalon!" Edmund was near now, his voice enveloping her like a blanket. But he also sounded very far away. Avalon struggled to hear him as he continued calling her name. It was like listening to a voice from underwater. Her vision was dimming and blurry, her legs gave way under her. She felt strong arms catch her before her head hit the ground.

"Avalon!" She heard the panic in his voice. She looked up and saw the dark eyes she knew so well. Avalon felt herself slip off the edge of consciousness into an abyss. Then the world went black.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **Please enjoy this new chapter! Read and review!

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><p>She abandoned herself to the dark abyss, drifting in the nothingness. There was no space, no time. She was floating in unchartered waters with no thoughts and no pain. There was nothing but unending darkness. Was she alive? Was she dead? Was she in the place between two lives? She did not know. She simply floated. And like a floating log in the ocean, the waves slowly pushed her to the shore. She was on the edge of consciousness. She had moments of absolute clarity, like pockets of air in the sea, short moments of having her head above the waves before they pulled her in again.<p>

The darkness still enveloped her, but her senses returned to her gradually. She felt the cool soft sheets beneath her fingers and warmth tickling her skin. She smelled the fragrant wood with each even breath she took, accompanied by varied scents. She tasted thee dry, bitter taste in her mouth, her lips painfully cracked at the slight movement of her tongue. She was coming around gradually, the waves pushing her up to consciousness. But the ocean ended where the sky began. Then, she broke the surface.

Avalon opened her eyes gently, her eyelids painfully ripped apart after a long slumber. The light flooded her sight. Unmoving, her gaze travelled the room and surveyed her surroundings. The glass windows were open, the white curtain blowing in with the breeze. It was bright outside, the sounds of the waves below Cair Paravel travelled to her like music.

Even after being gone for months, she recognized her room without difficulty. She found herself staring at her ceiling. The fiery scarlet and golden lion blazed in front of her eyes, almost whispering "Welcome back." Avalon gingerly twisted from side to side. She heard someone shuffling on the side of the room. She whipped her head quickly, too quickly that she groaned with pain, to see him standing there.

"Hello, Avalon." His back was pressed against the wall, one leg bent to it and the other stretched out. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was staring at her tenderly, his eyes peering at her from beneath his outgrown hair. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pushed off the wall and made his way to her. Though her body felt like a million boulders had fallen over her, she willed her arms to reach up to him.

"You're back." He whispered. Edmund gently wrapped her in his arms, obviously avoiding the injured parts of her body, but Avalon clung to him for dear life. There was once a time she feared she would never see him again, and yet he was there, his breath on her neck, his tunic clutched in her fists, the heat of his chest radiating towards her. He was everywhere and Avalon felt the abyss in her chest fill with light.

Too soon, he pulled away to hold her face between his hands. It was the first time he's done that, but his hands felt familiar to her nonetheless. They were gentler than usual; as if he was afraid that this was just a dream and if he pressed too hard, she would shatter and he would wake. His eyes never left hers and she did not look away, unsure if this was truly a reality. It had been so long since the dark of his met the green of hers. The silence surrounded them like a comfortable blanket, protecting them from any reality that awaited them with words.

"I have to call the others." He said, unable to say anything else. Almost instinctively, she gripped his wrist tight.

"Don't leave me alone." She attempted to say, but a sharp pain exploded in her throat. Avalon hissed and her free hand flew to the bandage around her neck. Edmund soothed her and easily pried her fingers from his wrist. The last time he left her alone was vividly burned in his mind, but the others needed to know she was awake.

"They're nearby so it won't take long." He whispered, pressing her back down on the sheets. She glared at him. "You can count till thirty and if I'm not back by then…." His eyes surveyed the room, thinking. "You can throw the lamp." Ed pointed at the lamp on her bedside table. Her lack of reaction was his cue to run out of the room.

_One…two…three...four….five…_

Avalon stared at her body. It was disfigured enough that it looked alien to her, but the bandages were a familiar sight. She wondered how bad her injuries were.

_Six…seven…eight…nine…ten…_

"How much has changed since I was taken?" She wondered. "What happens next?"

_Eleven…twelve…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…_

Avalon reached out and wrapped her fingers around the lamp on her bedside table, ready to toss it. _Sixteen…_

The door flew open. Susan and Lucy rushed in, carrying their skirts, with Peter, Caspian and Edmund at their heels.

"Avalon!" The two women launched themselves at Avalon, who locked her jaw to keep from letting out the pain that erupted in her torso from being hugged. But a hiss managed to escape from her lips without consent, causing the two women to spring away from her.

"We feared you would never open your eyes again. You were unconscious for days!" Susan pressed a palm to Avalon's bruised cheek. "You were so badly injured when they brought you home."

_Home. _Avalon's heart swelled upon hearing the word. She was here, truly here, with the people she once thought she would never see again.

"How bad am I?" she whispered, glancing down at her obviously mangled body. She expected an answer from Susan or Lucy, but their darting looks made her regret asking in the first place. Caspian replied instead.

"You have four broken ribs, a sprained ankle, countless lacerations and bruises all over your body. Admittedly, you're in far better shape than we expected to find you. You must have had a guardian with you." His reassuring tone coerced a smile from her. Her thoughts flew to Trina. She must ask about her later. Avalon reached out a hand towards him and he took it. "You'll be in perfect condition in no time."

A reply was on her lips when Peter held up his hand and stopped her. "Don't speak!" He pointed at his throat and Avalon touched her own. She was reminded of the mesh-like cloth was covering her neck. "When you defended yourself against Marcus, he cut you across the throat. We were afraid the injury would kill you, but fortunately, the cut was not deep enough to damage your windpipe. It still did minimal damage though, so refrain from speaking too much for the time being. We don't want to aggravate the wound."

Avalon simply nodded her head, silently thanking Aslan and whatever power saved her from the claws of death. In the hours that followed, the Pevensies and Caspian did not leave her bed side. Their presence was her shield from the pain of her battered body. They told her of stories that she missed, both the good and the bad. And all the while, Edmund stood away from his family. It was a small distance; no one else could have or would have noticed. But Avalon did. She tried to tell herself it was nothing to worry about, but she didn't believe it.

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><p>The nightmares pulled her from her slumber. As soon as the light filled her eyes, the darkness of her dreams started to fade. Avalon did not know how long she slept, but the terrors of her mind filled her with fatigue and numbness. She shifted around, attempting to shake off the stress, but she couldn't move her hand. It was weighed down. Only then did she notice the bowed head of the dark-haired boy who held her hand.<p>

He was fast asleep on a wooden chair by the head of her bed, his hair falling over his face. His back was slumped low and his hand was outstretched to grasp hers. He looked quite uncomfortable and for certain, his neck would ache greatly when he stirred. She squeezed the hand that held hers and reached over with the other to push the hair away from his face. His cheek bones were more prominent than ever, and unflattering dark circles appeared under his eyes. His usually pale skin looked chalky and translucent, he seemed to fade away. His wrist, pressed against hers, was frail and nearly as thin as hers.

"Difference is I've been starved and beaten." She thought as she traced a pattern over the pulse point of his wrist and travelled her fingers up his arm, curled at his shoulder and cupped his cheek. "What happened to you, Ed?"


	15. Chapter 15

**_Author's Note:_ Hello, dear readers! To make up for my long absence, I decided to put this down as fast I could. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this. I greatly appreciate the time you take in reading my story, in following, in making it a favorite, in making reviews. This isn't the last chapter, there's still a long way to go, but I want you guys to know how grateful I am. This particular chapter has been a long time coming. It's a turning point in the story that I've been so excited to write. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Please take the time to drop a review! I love hearing what you guys have to say. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the original characters and the plot. Credit goes to C.S. Lewis.**

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><p><em>He was fast asleep on a wooden chair by the head of her bed, his hair falling over his face. His back was slumped low and his hand was outstretched to grasp hers. He looked quite uncomfortable and for certain, his neck would ache greatly when he stirred. She squeezed the hand that held hers and reached over with the other to push the hair away from his face. His cheek bones were more prominent than ever, and unflattering dark circles appeared under his eyes. His usually pale skin looked chalky and translucent, he seemed to fade away. His wrist, pressed against hers, was frail and nearly as thin as hers.<em>

_"Difference is I've been starved and beaten." She thought as she traced a pattern over the pulse point of his wrist and travelled her fingers up his arm, curled at his shoulder and cupped his cheek. "What happened to you, Ed?"_

The contact of her skin on his jolted him. His grip on her hand tightened as his breath caught and his eyes snapped open. Avalon instinctively withdrew her hands. Edmund frantically looked side to side, expecting an attack. Finally, his gaze fell on Avalon's face. He watched her watch him and gradually, his breathing eased. Embarrassed, Edmund slumped back into his chair and gave the injured girl a smile.

"Well, that's one way to wake up." Edmund chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. He leaned further into the chair and met her eyes again. The expression on his face shifted almost immediately. "Just say it, Avalon."

She raised an eyebrow at him as if to say "What are you talking about?"

"I can see it in your eyes. Whatever you were thinking, just say it." His head was leaned back far into the headrest that she could barely see his eyes. His fingers were linked together, his thumbs tapping one another expectantly. She heaved a sigh of surrender.

"What happened to you, Ed?" She whispered. The sadness in her tone was clear. Now it was his turn to raise a questioning eyebrow. "Oh, don't play innocent with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Edmund sprang from his chair and walked to the open doorway that led to terrace over-looking the ocean. "What did I do?" Avalon was speaking so softly that he could barely hear her.

"You didn't do anything." Edmund said, his face a painting of surprise.

"Was it something _you_ did then?" Edmund shook his head. "Then what is the problem?!" Avalon exasperated. Edmund turned to face her from his spot by the doorway. The wind was blowing in, rustling his hair.

"That is precisely the point, Avalon. I. Didn't. Do. Anything." He beat his chest with every word. "The search efforts, the rescue mission; they were all Caspian and Peter's work! My own best friend was abducted and I was crippled by my own selfish fears."

"Ed, it's okay…" Avalon began, trying to comfort him. He wouldn't let her.

"No, Avalon, it is absolutely not okay. It is my responsibility and duty to defend you, but I stood idle by, consumed by my sorrow that I was rendered useless. My family made excuses for me, but there is no worthy excuse for my actions, or lack thereof." Edmund paced the length of the doorway, unable to look her in the eyes. "What if this was to happen again to you, or to Lucy, or to Susan?! I cannot just rely on my brothers to get everything squared away while I cower in the corner. If it weren't for them, you would be dead. You would have died by my hands. I am a disgrace of a King. I am the same coward I was as a child. I could not protect you, could not defend you." He stopped in his tracks and raised his eyes to finally meet her tearful gaze. "I am so sorry, Avalon. I wish I could have been better, done better for you. But the one time you needed me, I could not be the man I needed to be."

His words hung in the air as Avalon took a deep breath. She extended a hand out to him, beckoning Edmund to her. He remained awkwardly rooted in his place, but after a moment's deliberation, he sat beside her on the bed and took her frail, pale hand.

"You fought for me…" She whispered as steadily as her lacerated throat would allow.

"I should have fought harder for you." He said, but she shook her head and made him stop. "_Stop interrupting me" _her eyes screamed at him. He bit his tongue and pursed his lips.

"You may be a King, but that does not make you immune to imperfection. You are allowed to make mistakes, to feel whatever you want to feel, to cope however you wish to cope, to break expectations and status quos every now and then. No one will fault you for being human." She grabbed his chin and forced Edmund to look at her. "You kept me alive. Engrave that in your mind right now. Every single day of my captivity, I would think of all of you, how you could ride in any moment and save me. Even after I found out about that silly tomb you put up to fake my death, I knew you would come. You never gave up on me and I never gave up on you. So don't you dare give up on yourself." Avalon finally let go of his face and leaned back on her pillows, letting her words sink in.

"You should rest your throat. No more talking." Edmund said. She expected a better reply, but the smile in his tone was good enough. It told her that things would be better now. She was wrong.

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><p>The news of Avalon's rescue spread through the land like wild fire. Most of the citizens, Narnians in particular, received the good news with gladness. But there were a few, families of fallen soldiers left in battle, who were less than enthusiastic. They were angry that their sons, brothers, husbands, lovers were not given the same treatment. She may or may not be blessed by Aslan, but what makes her more important than the soldiers who laid their lives down for Narnia and were not rescued?<p>

An idea is like a disease. Once it is created, it spreads and takes hold of an individual. Once the idea that their rulers were biased and unfair spread through the citizens, it was difficult to eradicate. The sting of loss can never go away, and with the new found knowledge that rules can be broken by their Kings and Queens, it was like adding salt to a perpetually bleeding wound.

Their anger did not go by unnoticed by the Pevensies. A month went by and Avalon recovered splendidly. They decided to confront this issue, to address this problem before it could result into another revolt. With the intention of telling the truth, Peter sent out the town criers to disseminate the news that the Kings and Queens requested the audience of the public. They would show a unified front to their people and explain the situation with hopes that they would understand the importance that Avalon held, not only to their family, but to the land of Narnia as a whole, and respond with kindness.

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><p>Avalon stared at herself in the mirror as Lilliandil floated across her room, helping her prepare for the announcement. As the Blue Star searched her wardrobe for the perfect dress, Avalon studied her black-and-blue body. She could hardly recognize herself. Her ribs were still bandaged and taped tight and the lengths of her arms were peppered with bruises. Her feet were no longer cut open, but the dark scabs stared up at her. Her throat still had gauze on it, but the doctor said it was healing just fine. The longer she stared at herself, the more she remembered the pain. She could almost feel her skin ripping open, her blood crusting her skin and flowing out her, literally draining life out of her.<p>

"Here it is!" Lilliandil exclaimed as she pulled a scarlet dress from Avalon's closet. It was a simple floor length gown made of soft velvet. The long sleeves would cover her up to her wrists, and the skirt, which fell straight down like elegant drapes, would hide her bruised legs and feet. Lilliandil laid the dress carefully on the bed and proceeded to help Avalon with her corset. Usually, there were servants assigned with tasks such as these, but the Queen-to-be insisted on helping her friend. She was not present for majority of Avalon's recovery and she wanted to help as much as she can. Furthermore, she was sure that Avalon would not want just anybody to see her battered body. She can be a prideful person and Lilliandil understood that although she was broken, Avalon wished to maintain her dignity.

"Be careful, okay?" Avalon reminded her as she began lacing up the corset. In the reflection of the mirror, she saw Lilliandil smile at her and furrow her brows in concentration. Avalon watched Lilliandil and could not help the guilt that pooled in her stomach.

"I'm sorry." Avalon said as she placed a hand on her side, starting to feel the tightness of the corset.

"It's no bother." Lilliandil replied, thinking that Avalon was thanking her for helping her get dressed.

"No, no, it's not about this." Avalon said. She turned around, making the woman pause in her actions. "You should be married by now. You should be Queen of Narnia. But because of what happened to me, all that just….stopped. So many things are at a stand-still because of me. You could have been immersed in wedded-bliss right now, but you aren't because of my abduction."

The Blue Star shook her head. "My dear friend, it would not be blissful if you were not here." She placed both hands on Avalon's shoulders gently. "Even if you were just on a trip elsewhere, Peter and I would not even dream of getting married if you were not home, safe and celebrating with us. You make our family whole, and we cannot be without you." And with that, she carefully spun Avalon around and continued dressing her up.

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><p>A simple wooden stage was set up in the middle of the town square. The place was packed with citizens, Narnians and Telmarines alike, all eager to hear what their Kings and Queens had to say.<p>

Backstage, the monarchs, along with Lilliandil and Avalon, stepped out of their carriages. They all dressed simply, opting to appear approachable and humble in front of their people, not wanting to intimidate them and cause more anger. The tension was thick in the air; they were definitely flying into this blind. Unlike most of their other plans, this was not as thought out. Admittedly, they trusted their people too much. One may even say it was gullible of them. Avalon wrung her hands, struggling with the notion that this was all her fault. Edmund, seeing the anguish in her eyes, gripped her fingers and shook his head at her as if he could read her thoughts and was disagreeing.

One by one, they stepped out from behind the curtains and faced their people. There was no need for formal introductions and grand entrances today; the situation did not call for it and it would seem inappropriate and pompous. No chairs were prepared for them, as was requested by Caspian. They wanted to show the people how alert they were, that they did not treat their sentiments lightly. They were met by deafening applause from their people, but they knew that it did not hide their anger.

"We assume that everyone is aware as to why we have gathered here today." Peter spoke as the applause faded. "The great Avalon Trevine has returned. She was abducted by rebels led by a man named Marcus Valdez. For three months, she was imprisoned, beaten and starved. We proclaimed her death, as was military protocol, and yes, we did mourn for her. But we stand before you today to confess the truth. Contrary to military protocol, we did not stop looking for her. Gaining insider intel, we managed to infiltrate the rebellion and rescue Avalon. Marcus, the rebel leader, died with his vendetta."

Peter's words were met with silence. The air was filled with electricity.

"We are aware that many of you, families of fallen soldiers, are offended that we rescued her, but failed to rescue others. This monarchy is not a leadership of tyranny and oppression. This is your chance to speak your mind. No harm will come to you if by chance, you offend us as well. We will not persecute you for your sentiments, may they be good or bad, for us or against us. However, I remind you that the laws laid down by Aslan still hold. We will not harm you, as long as you do not harm us or anyone else around you. So step forth, my dear brothers and sisters. We want to hear you." Caspian addressed the crowd.

The seconds slowly ticked by, dragging on for what seemed like others.

"Why did you save her, and only her?!" A man in the middle of the massive crowd spoke up. Like a spark lighting a flame, and flame causing a fire, his words began a stream of loud, angry comments from various people in the crowd.

"What makes her so special?" "What about my son?!" "You left my husband!" "My brother fought for you and you did not rescue him!" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?"

They had anticipated this reaction. They all stood on the stage, not moving, not speaking, not letting any emotion show. They let the anger of their people wash over them, waiting for the proper time to speak. Their anger could not last long. Once they have vented enough, they would and could see reason.

Between Peter and Edmund, Avalon was frantically picking at her fingers behind her back. She scratched the side of thumb a little too hard and the skin peeled open. She let out a hiss and resorted to playing with the ring on her left hand's fourth finger instead. It was the ring given to her by Edmund on her 18th birthday. The metal was cool and familiar to her touch.

Sensing her discomfort, Edmund turned to look at her. She returned her gaze, attempting to smile at him, but he saw right through that. He reached behind her and took her shaking hand, unable to say any words of comfort over the loud, angry protests. His fingers found her ring and she felt them pause on it before weaving through her fingers. But the shaking of his own hand told Avalon he wasn't going to last long either. When he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, she realized that he didn't hold her hand to comfort her; he held her hand to warn her.

Edmund broke away from the neat line of monarchs, much to the surprise of his brothers and sisters. As he stepped forward, the crowd immediately silenced. The anger on his face mirrored that of the protesters. Anger was not an emotion King Edmund the Just showed often. He was known as the benevolent and amicable diplomat, always on the middle ground. But not today. And when he opened his mouth, out flew the words no one expected to hear.

"We needed to save Avalon Trevine because saving her meant saving the future Queen of Narnia. Avalon is my betrothed."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So what do you think? I'd love to know. :)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Here it is! One of the most awaited chapters. Personally, I had so much fun writing this chapter. I hope you'll like it as well. Please drop a review, I always love knowing what you guys have to say. If you have any suggestions too, drop them off as well. They get m creative juices flowing. Thank you all so much for sticking by me and this story. We have a long way to go!

**Disclaimer: **I only know the plot and the original characters. Everything else if by C.S. Lewis.

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><p>Edmund's words were met by silence. The air passing through everyone's lungs could almost be heard. Edmund's heart felt like it would crack his ribs in half; for a moment, he feared every citizen of Narnia could hear the pounding in his chest. Nobody moved. The audience was still, shock painted on their faces. In his peripheral vision, he could see his brothers and sisters maintaining their composure. If he could look into their eyes right now, what would he see? He tried to piece together what Avalon looked like, what her reaction was, but the vision was too blurry. He did not want to give himself away but turning towards her just yet.<p>

"Oh, Aslan, help me out here."he prayed. "What have I done?" He imagined a horrified Avalon, screaming at him.

Suddenly, applause broke out throughout the crowd. Everyone was cheering, whooping, laughing till her bellies shook. Edmund never saw a merrier sight. This gave him to courage to turn to Avalon, his so-called bride. There she stood, rooted to her spot, her face a blank canvas. She was preoccupied with the crowd's reaction, but the momentary meeting of her eyes and his told Edmund enough: "We will talk about this later."

She stepped up and wore a gentle smile, a simple upturn of the corners of her mouth. Edmund reached out and offered his hand to her. She did not take it. Instead, she stood next to him, slightly behind him as was royal custom. To shake off his embarrassment, Edmund made a sweeping gesture with his arm, attempting to make it seem like he was gesturing her forward. This was not a good sign. Although to the crowd, they were picture-perfect, her cold demeanour and refusal to touch him was a red flag. As she bent low to curtsy to the crowd, Edmund's heart pounded in his ears. He turned to smile at his family, but when his eyes met Peter's, the message in them scared him.

How will we get out of this one?

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><p>The carriage ride home was a silent nightmare. Lucy, who sat with them on the way to the town square, insisted on being in the other carriage with Peter, Susan and their other halves, in order to give Avalon and Edmund the privacy to talk.<p>

But Avalon didn't want to talk. A few minutes into their journey to Cair Paravel, Edmund finally worked up the courage to start the conversation. Avalon was just staring out the window, absolutely silent and barely moving. He doubted she was even breathing.

"Avalon, I am so sorry. I just…"he started to say, but she raised her hand and cut him off.

"No, Edmund. Not now." She didn't even look t him. She continued staring out the window and did not give him a second glace throughout their trip. Avalon didn't even lay her gaze on him when they arrived, and he offered his hand to assist her in disembarking from the carriage. She took his hand, which was a relief, but she wouldn't look at him still.

It wasn't until they crossed the threshold that she turned to him so swiftly and suddenly that the air spun her skirt angrily and Edmund was jolted.

"Edmund, I would like a word with you in the throne room." She said monotonously. Edmund felt his heart jump to his throat, his mouth hung open and dry and his palms cold with sweat. It was an instantaneous reaction that left him frozen to his spot. Avalon didn't even wait for his reply. She turned away, to the direction of the throne room, as quickly as turned to him. Edmund managed to exchange a glace with his siblings before Caspian pushed him to follow her.

The walk to the throne room seemed to go on forever. Logically, Edmund knew he should be preparing what to tell her, how to explain, and to present possible solutions. But his mind had gone haywire. He could think of nothing but her fury, her reaction, the poison that was sure to be in her words and the possible falling out they might have in about 2 minutes. His eyes were fixated on her slender back. Edmund hoped she would turn around so that he could see her face and know what he was in for. But she kept her gaze forward, never looking to check if he was following her. Their footsteps were swift and silent, but the tension sparked the air. Edmund could feel it all around him, like electricity pulsating around them, pushing and pulling with every step they took, like an invisible elastic force surrounding them. He wondered if she can feel it too.

Upon entering the throne room after her, Edmund immediately closed the heavy doors behind him. He found that Avalon was already waiting for him at the end of the room, by their thrones. He made his way slowly up the aisle, trying to burn as much time as he could. She did not seem to be in a hurry. Her back was still towards him, leaving her face unseen. His heart was beating so fast that he was afraid his chest would burst open. It physically hurt to breathe. It was so loud in his ears that he was almost certain she could hear it as well.

Finally, there were no more steps to take. He stood right next to her, staring right at her. His breathing was quick and heavy. But she was still not looking at him. Her gaze was glued to the majestic scarlet banner of Aslan behind the thrones. She remained unmoving that she was beginning to appear like a portrait herself. The moments of silence hung between them, stacking up like a barrier, one after another like an endless road. Edmund could take it no longer.

"Please speak." He begged of her. "Say something. Anything." He knew his plea was pathetic, but what was he to say. His fear was getting the best of him.

"I am not the one who needs to explain." She replied, still not meeting his eyes. She side-stepped him and paced until she reached the last throne, Lucy's throne, and kept her back to him.

His temper flared at that. What was that tone for?! In her hours of silence, did she not meditate and understand his actions?!

"I did what I thought I had to do to protect you, to protect our family." His voice was soft and strained. She spun around; her face was horrified and disbelieving.

"So this is your version of fighting harder for me?!" She began making her way back to him, her shoulders heaving with every breath.

"Well, what was I to do, Avalon?!" He threw his arms up in the air, exasperated. "They weren't going to believe whatever true reason we could offer."

"So you feed them a lie?!" She glared straight at him, rising to her full height.

"A lie that will save us. A lie that will not hurt anybody but us." He countered. "Honestly, Avalon, do you not…"

"Don't you dare belittle me, Edmund. Of course I understand! It's just that…I just…." She half-gasp, half-screamed as she ran her fingers threw her hair. "Never did we ever consider marrying anyone, and you suddenly spring an engagement on both of us?!" Her look was incredulous, bordering deranged. She sank down to the stone steps that elevated the thrones from the aisle. It seemed like the wind was knocked out of her. For a moment, he feared she was crying. But she wasn't. She had never looked so lost, so torn, as she did in that moment. Edmund barely recognized her, and hated himself for being the one that caused this pain.

The quiet dragged on before Edmund could force himself to move. Edmund took a seat next to her, careful not to touch her but near enough to feel her heat. As he watched her, Avalon's expression gradually changed from shocked to uncertain. Neither one of them spoke, each drowning in their own fears and thoughts. With a deep breath, Avalon eventually broke the silence.

"So what's supposed to happen next?" She said. Edmund raised his eyebrows at her in question. "Well, this is YOUR genius idea. You must have had some sort of plan, or did you just blurt out whatever crazy scheme popped into your pea-brain?"

Ignoring her insult, he heaved a heavy sigh. "I planned on fulfilling what I said." Avalon's jaw dropped.

"You mean marry me? Honest to Aslan marry me?" She said, her voice getting higher and higher. Edmund just shot her a look that scream "what-do-you-think?!" Avalon suddenly rose to her feet. "There must be another way out of this than to get married." She whispered so softly that he was unsure he was meant to hear it. Avalon chewed her thumb furiously.

"Would it be so bad though if we did?" Edmund rose to his feet as well, and paced back to his throne. "If we got married, I mean."

"You honestly think marriage would be a good idea?" The shocked insane look was back on her face. Edmund suddenly looked very serious, and it scared Avalon.

"If there is somebody, aside from my family of course, that I can't live without, it would be you. So I figured, 'why not?'. You and I will remain side-by-side until we grow up, grow old and wither to the earth no matter what anyway. So what if I just place a ring on your finger and instead of calling you my best friend, I call you my wife? I hardly doubt much will change."

Avalon's head was spinning. Ring. Wife. What in Aslan's name was happening?!

"What if you fall for someone else?" She asked, chewing her bottom lip hard. It split down the middle and she tasted blood.

"I highly doubt that's going to happen." He raised an eyebrow at her. Avalon paced a little.

"What if I fall for someone else?" She said. She knew it was a long shot.

"Seriously? I highly doubt that too." Edmund said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Avalon hesitantly smiled meekly too, not wanting to give him too much of a satisfaction in knowing he was right.

"And where would I live?" Avalon pressed on.

"Where do you think?!" Edmund looked at her as if she was insane.

"Where would I sleep?" Avalon asked. This time, Edmund was at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find the right words.

Finally, he settled for "We'll figure it out." He smiled at her reassuringly, and Avalon felt like they were at a very important crossroads. She felt like they were on the verge of something important, something absolutely life-changing. This was the moment to look back years from now, that would define the rest of their lives. It was as if the world was beginning to warp and change around them.

In an instant, it felt like the world was both crumbling and rebuilding all at once.

"So we're really doing this then?" Her voice was just a little over a squeak. Edmund made his way towards her and bent his head low to meet her eyes on her level.

"I will not ask anything from you that you are not willing to give." He whispered. They were so close that his breath was on her lips, and they were breathing the same air. They have been closer than this before, their years of battle and comradeship demanded the lack of physical space. But this time, it was different. It meant differently.

"You have taken such a great risk for my sake." She carefully pried his hands from her shoulders. "The least I can do is to stand by you."

Edmund stepped back and beamed at her. He looked so happy, so relieved, that it was almost painful to watch. His joy was infectious, and she found herself smiling too.

"Well, if I have to marry someone, I'm glad it has to be you." She said, gently punching him in the arm. "At least I'll be with someone I love, and loves me as well, even if it isn't way a husband and wife should."

"At least it's something." Edmund shrugged and held his hand out to her. Avalon tilted her head at him, not understanding what he meant. Edmund folded his fingers twice and pointed at her ring, as if saying "give it here". She eased the silver and red ring from her finger and handed it to him.

"Since everything about our marriage will be, for the lack of a better word, wrong…" Edmund got down on one knee, "we might as well get this one thing right."

Avalon laughed and extended her hand to him, feigning a damsel-in-distress position by placing the other hand on her forehead daintily. Edmund laughed at this and took her hand. Even though the gravity of the situation was not lost on them, they felt like little children playing prince and princess and pretend.

"Avalon Trevine." He said in a mockingly deep voice, presenting her the ring and gripping her hand gently.

"Yeeeessss?" She drawled out in a high-pitched voice, maintaining her damsel-y posture. They both burst out in a fit of laughter, of which Edmund was the first to recover.

"Hey, this is serious!" He said between chuckles and held her hand again.

"Alright, alright!" She said, pushing her hair from her face and turning to look at him again. The sight of him on his knees, holding a ring and asking a girl to marry him, was something she never thought she would see, much less experience for herself.

"Avalon Trevine, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Edmund held the ring out to her.

She never thought, in a million years, that hers would be the hand he would ask for when he finally gave in to marriage. Then again, she never thought she would say yes to a proposal, and she's had plenty before. But despite the less than desirable circumstances, she felt at peace with her decision. The thought of marrying Ed should frighten her, anger her, disgust her. But she just felt….happy even.

"I will." Edmund broke into another smile, one as bright as the dawn breaking the clouds. It was one of those happy smiles that made Avalon happy too.

He slipped at the ring on her fourth finger. It had been there for so long that to be without her ring was already unimaginable. And yet, as his fingers left hers, Avalon saw it through new eyes. It was like seeing it for the first time, feeling it on her skin for the first time. She felt the warmth it took from Edmund, saw the glimmer of the ruby in the sunlight and the sparkle of the tiny sword hilt. This was her engagement ring. All this time, she thought it was just a representation of her. Now, it resembled everything about her and Edmund, a mixture of beauty and strength.

When Edmund was back on his two feet, Avalon attacked him into a bear hug so fierce that he nearly stumbled back. Once he restored his balanced, he embraced her as tight.

"Well, I guess we're getting married!" He said, letting her go and stepping away from her.

"And most importantly, you won't be dethroned." Avalon stuck her tongue out at him. Edmund laughed heartily at this. Avalon pushed his on the chest and ran to the door.

"Come on, my soon-to-be husband. We have to tell your siblings." She laughed as she pulled the doors open. Avalon turned to see Edmund frozen on the spot.

"Husband." He said, as if turning the word over on his tongue. "Sounds funny."

"I know." Avalon said, wrinkling her nose. "I ought to wash my tongue." Edmund laughed again and jogged to join her.

As they made their way to Peter's study, where all the other royals awaited them, Avalon threaded her arm through Edmund's arm. It was quite strange and highly uncomfortable, but it was just one of the many things that was about to change. A little sacrifice was nothing compared to the safety of their family, and the continued support of their people. Perhaps one day, they will tell the truth to all of Narnia. But for now, they had a wedding to plan.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So that was it! I hope you liked it. Please don't forget to drop a review. I would love to hear from you!


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **I know it has been so long. Too long. But I like this chapter, and I hope you do too. Thank you for sticking with me. Please READ AND REVIEW!

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><p>Tap.<p>

Tap.

Tap.

Avalon was torn from her slumber by the light tapping on glass. She pushed back the white sheets and craned her neck to see her terrace door over her shoulder. Nothing. No one. Aside from the faint light of the moonlit sky, there was evidence that anything could have made the tapping had stopped. It must have been a dream. Avalon rested her head again and shut her eyes.

Time passed. Sleep took hold.

Time passed. She saw colors.

Time passed.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Avalon ripped her eyes open, shaking the dreams from her head like an angry dog. She pushed her cream colored sheets completely away from her and sat up. She squinted - there were bright light was shining through the glass door, too bright for evening and too strong to be morning. Avanlon padded over and opened her terrace door, stepping into the chilly pre-dawn darkness. The cold stone met her skin, still sensitive from the heat of her bedsheets. A light breeze picked up, causing the cold to assault her bare legs underneath her thin nightgown. As she reached the edge of the terrace, Avalon peered over the balcony to find the lawn below her blazing red in flames.

The village had formed a mob, a dark group of faceless beings, that charged into Cair Paravel, rallying below her window. Red and heat radiated everywhere; fire as far as her eyes could see. She tried to scream for the Pevenies, but she could not find her voice. She was drowned out by the people, all of them yelling "BURN THE LIAR!" "THIS IS FOR OUR SONS!" "DIE LIKE THE COMRADES YOU ABANDONED!"

Avalon tried to run, but each way she turned, she could see no escape. The terrace seemed to be shrinking in on her. Cair Paravel was collapsing in on itself, and Avalon's balcony started to tip forward as the marble crumbled to ashes.

The fire made her glass door explode, sending shards flying to her neck, cutting her skin. As the balcony continued to fall forward, Avalon braced herself on the marble balcony ledge. She felt the air whip her face as the the terrace completely broke away and started to fall towards the mob. They did not move, only screaming at her louder, demanding her imminent death. As she neared the ground, neared her demise, she saw the eyes of fallen comrades. She saw the eyes of soldiers they did not return for.

The sound crescendoed in her ears and Avalon took a final breath, preparing for the final impact...

Avalon's eyes opened.

She could feel her heavy breathing under her sheets, and her fist had turned white as she gripped at the cloth. She could feel her heart hammering into her chest, echoing in her ears, sending the adrenaline through her veins. She was hot under the blankets, feeling the sweat on her back and face, but she wasn't ready to move just yet.

_In. Out. In. Out. _Avalon reminded herself, pacing her breathing while fixating her gaze on the stars painted on her ceiling.

It does not pride Avalon to think that a dream can paralyze her like this.

_In. Out. In. Out. It's all a dream. _But just for good measure, she plucked up the courage to look at her terrace door once her breathing was under control. The moonlight poured through gently, no sign of a fiery mob.

Avalon pulled herself out of bed, and went out into the balcony. She could see the ocean from her spot, and the beach where Edmund first found her.

Edmund. The thought of him made Avalon look instinctively at her engagement ring. The thought of him, or marriage, and lying to their people for the rest of their lives brought tears to her eyes. She does not regret being save, being alive, and being engaged to Edmund. They did what they had to do.

But Avalon was always haunted by the eyes of her fallen and forgotten comrades. Men she once fought with side by side. Men she called brothers. Men who laid down their lives for Narnia. Men she will never see again. Men who left behind their families to mourn them. Men who were deprived of the second chance she was given.

It was because of them, and for them, that Avalon could not sleep. More than the guilt for lying to Narnia, it was the guilt of being saved.

Resigned to the fact that she will not be getting any more sleep, Avalon waited for the first streaks of daylight to pierce through the clouds before getting dressed and sneaking out of the castle. As quietly as she could, she saddled up her horse and took off into nowhere.

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><p>It was not until well into the morning that Avalon returned to the castle. It was already time for breakfast, and the scent of toasted bread and butter told her just as much. Exhausted from her trip, she dragged her feet under her as she slowly made her way to the dining hall. The sound of worried conversation bounced off the walls and made its way to Avalon.<p>

"Your Majesties! Lady Avalon has gone missing!" a young female's voice said. Undoubtedly, it was Maureen, the young beaver who wakes her every morning. "She was not in her bed when I came to wake her this morning. And the terrace door was open."

The sound of scraping chairs wre heard. Avalon picked up her speed.

Peter anxiously replied "We must get men out to look for her. On Aslan's name, I -"

"There is no need for that!" Avalon exclaimed, barging into the hall, panting slightly. She could immediately see the worry drain from their faces, replaced by relief. "I'm here. No search party is required."

Everyone kept their eyes on her, and the young beaver made her way swiftly to Avalon.

"My Lady, I am so sorry. I was worried when you were gone! I thought you might have been taken again!" She said, her high pitched voice thick with apology. Avalon bent down to her knees and patted the young beaver.

"Thank you for your concern. I shall leave a note next time. It was my fault." She flashed her a kind smile, before turning to the royals.

"I had trouble sleeping, so I decided to go out riding. No need to be alarmed. I'll leave a note next time."

Peter got to his feet and did not even attempt to hide his frustration.

"You will do no such thing, Avalon. It's far too risky. We can't have you riding out in the darkness without a companion. No more of this." the High King said, his eyebrows knitted together on his forehead.

Avalon felt like a delinquent child, being chided and reprimanded for misbehaving and asking permission. This was enough to set her off almost immediately.

"Oh, and I suppose your my father now, Peter?!" she said, striding forward to her seat at the table. "I'll make sure to prepare a written consent form before I go to the bathroom as well."

"It's not like that, Avalon." This time, it was Caspian who protested against her. "You may consider yourself healed, but the memory of your abdustion is still too fresh in our minds, and in our people's. We do not want to risk your safety."

"I am an experienced rider. These woods are like the back of my hand. I am more than capable of defending myself." Avalon challenged, dragging her chair out noisily and throwing herself down unto it in an unlady-like manner.

"It is not a matter of your skill or your capabilities. But you were abducted right here," Caspian pointed a finger at the glass panes of the windows, revealing the garden outside. The images of her abduction flashed in her mind - heavy hands everywhere, the cloth to her mouth, the rough tree bark she scrathed and left her blood trail. She shook her head. "Right outside our home, in our own grounds, with guards everywhere. If that can be possible, how much more if you are riding alone in the darkness of dawn?"

"But Marcus is dead." Avalon huffed out. She could see Caspian's point, but she just felt like being stubborn. She was not going to be treated like a petulant child.

"Yes, but who knows if he still has supporters we have not accounted for? And with the recent announcement of your engagement to Edmund, you are more valuable than ever." Peter responded, his shoulders sagging. He looked exhausted, but Avalon could tell it wasn't a physical kind.

"But, Peter, I -"

"Avalon, please." Edmund spoke up, his voice steady but strained. Avalon let out a heavy sigh and forced herself to look at him. His eyes were darker than usual, hiding a storm underneath the calm facade. She could not read him, as she usually can, and that made her afraid. "It's just for the time being. Don't make this difficult." Edmund's voice was airy, as if every word was a struggle to release.

Avalon opened her mouth to protest, but the red ruby of her finger felt like a ton of her hand. Avalon gave up her protest and turned her attention to the table. She could feel Susan and Lucy stealing glances her way, but she did not look at them. She could feel the tears burning her eyes, but she did not move to wipe them away.

Ever since the announcement of their engagement, things have been strained between Edmund and Avalon. The playful joy they initially felt has all been forgotten, replaced by the reality of what they were going to do. It started out as a great idea, but as the days passed, the gravity of the situation sunk it.

_Could they really do this? Could they pledge their lives to one another as husband and wife?_ Avalon though daily.

As best friends, they were free to argue, to be angry and reckless, to be less that charming with one another. But as husband and wife, there were certain social standards they were expected to uphold. Little things that married coupes do, that seem to less than important but add to the sincerity of a relationship. Avalon found herself staring at Susan and Caspian often, trying to piece together these social customs. None of these expectations were written, but they were just things that are, things that happen when two people are in love. That was certainly not the case for Avalon and Edmund.

Aside from the social customs, Avalon had to worry about royal customs as well. She used to be so content with being the best friend; she was given due respect without having to follow customs because she was not high-born. She did as she pleased, which was always just basic respect towards others.

But now, as the betrothed of Kind Edmund, she must bow and curtsy and learn all the laws, bylaws, the right spoon to use for soup and the right shoes to wear for dancing.

Ugh, the dancing. Avalon simply could not bring herself to enjoy it. She did not understand the appeal of squeezing into a tiny dress, tiny shoes and making tiny talk to people. At least, she was spared from actually speaking. Most of the time, Avalon would simply stay by Edmund and smile, but this made her feel less of a person and more of an accessory.

Everyday, Susan and Lucy would give Avalon private lessons on their laws, their history, on how a Queen must walk and talk. It was all very boring, and half the time, Avalon wished she was some place else. There was not much to learn from the men; there was nothing the Queens couldn't teach her, and the rest Avalon already knew.

With each passing day, Avalon and Edmund talked to each other less and less. It has been nearly two months since their engagement, and a deep trench has separated them. Avalon felt defeated, buried under the pressures of social expectations, and the guilt of being alive.

But she sucked it all up and refused to pout, never letting herself forget that they were only in this mess because they chose to save her. They were in this position because they deemed her worthy enough to throw away military protocol and risk a civil war. No matter how much her shoes hurt from dancing, or her cheeks ache from fake smiling, she will forge on because they put their reign on the line for her.

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><p>She was slumped down on the grounds when he found her. Her legs were spread out under her skirt, making them a wide triangle, her pointy shoes sticking out from underneath the fabric. She was leaning back on her hands, and her head tilted up to soak in the sunlight. He made his way to her, not bothering to be quiet about it. He did not want to startle her. Edmund unceremoniously plopped himself down next to her, close enough to let her feel his warmth, but far enough not to touch her. Avalon did not move.<p>

The silence stretched on between them, charging the tension in the air.

"What's wrong?" Edmund finally broke the quiet. Avalon's eyes flew open, and she looked at him. For a while she did not answer. She watched him, cross-legged on the grass, slouching forward, picking strands of grass and ripping them into tiny green confetti. Neither of them spoke. The sound of their breathing and the grass ripping mixed with the air and carried it away.

"I can't sleep, Ed." She finally said, staring up at the sky again. The ripping sound stopped. She refused to look at him still. "I see them in my dreams."

"Marcus?" He asked, resuming his grass-ripping. _He might make a bald spot_, Avalon absent-mindedly thought.

"No. I see Benedicto, who has two daughters, Camille and Genevieve. I see Dominique, who was the eldest of five and promised to be home for his sister's 18th birthday. I see Sebastian, who was recently engaged before he went missing. I see Tristan, who had a crippled father and 12-year-old brother depend on him to put food on their table. I buy bread from them every week now."The tears came now, not bothering to stop. They flowed freely, and Avalon let them. Edmund made no move to comfort her. She did not need it.

"They were not just soldiers, Ed. They were our comrades, our brothers. They fought with us, and for us. Men who died for their country." She said, sucking in as much air as her shaking lungs would allow. Edmund still said nothing.

"But I am alive. I cheated death, we cheated death." This time, she turned to Edmund. He returned her gaze with an unreadable expression. "If we can cheat death, what did they die for? Why am I so different?" She took a deep breath through her nose. Edmund was silent. He began ripping grass again.

"Would you rather we would have left you to die?" Edmund asked, not looking her. Suddenly, the torn grass was so interesting.

"I don't know." Avalon's voice sounded hollow. "All I know if that I see them in my dreams."

"And that's why you went out riding last night." Edmund said. It wasn't a question.

"I wanted to forget, to unsee them. They were so angry with me." She said. She pulled her arms onto her lap and turned her ring round and round her finger. "Is that selfish of me?"

"You're human. You can be afraid." He said simply. It was not meant to comfort, just stating a fact. But it was still worth something to Avalon.

"Do you know what else I'm afraid of?" Avalon said, pulling her legs in and twisting her body to face his. She mirrored his position, sitting cross-legged underneath her dress, still turning her ring round and round. He did not answer, because she was going to tell him anyway.

"I'm afraid to marry you." This caught him by surprise. Edmund's eyes went wide and he stopped ripping the grass.

"Why?" He asked. Avalon could sense the other questions hiding behind that one word. She shrugged, trying not to make a biig deal out of it.

"Because I might falter and make a mess of things. We all know I'm not Queen material. I'm afraid of all the things that are to come from being married to you." Avalon confessed.

"But you're not afraid _of me._" It came out more as a question than a statement from Edmund.

"Of course not! I just don't want to cost you any more. I mean, I'm still learning all the basic etiquette! I have to consciously think about which spoon to use!"

"It will come in time. It does not matter." Edmund said, keeping expression from his face.

"What people say matters." Avalon said.

"They can talk all they want. We don't need to listen. Not about this."

"And what if they expect us to have children?" She countered. Edmund sighed.

"I will not ask of you more than what you are willing to give. I meant that."

"But if they pressure you to have an heir as much as they pressured you to have a wife?"

"We don't want children."

"But what if they make you have children."

"They can't make us have sex."

"But they're mean and relentless."

"You're barren." Avalon broke into a smile at this, and a grin tugged at Edmund's lips too.

"And adoption?"

"Only if you want to."

"You have an answer for everything, don't you?" Avalon sneered at him. Edmund looked at her smugly, tossing his chin up in the air.

"Of course." He said, grinning at her widely. "I'm a king."

Avalon's smile faltered. "And I'm a lie." She said, whispering so softly, she was afraid to could even hear herself.

"No." Edmund said. He reached out and took her hand. He pulled on it gently, and placed her entined fingers on her knee. He stared at her ring intently. "You are my betrothed and I love you."

"But you're not in love with me." she deadpanned.

"And you aren't in love with me." He returned simply.

"But we will make do." She breathed out, pulling her hand back.

"Don't we always?" He said, smiling at her again. He stretched out on the grass, laying himself flat out, ready to drift into sleep.

Their comfortable silence was broken by the opening of a window and Lucy's voice ringing through the garden.

"Avalon! It's time to study about forks today!" She yelled out, the sound of her giggling drifting through the air. Edmund opened his eyes and met his best friend's irritated gaze. The dark-haired boy got to his feet with a chuckle and offered her a head. Avalon took it and got to her feet, brushing herself off.

"Queeny lessons." She sneered, spitting the word out. "I hate you for this."

For a split second, Edmund thought about inviting Avalon to sneak off with him and ditching her lessons. But when Susan poked her head out of the window and threatened to lecture them both, the best friends came dashing through the castle.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note**: More action is in store for you, but not in this chapter, unfortunately. This is kind of a filler chapter. I realized that Peter and Lilliandil have not yet been married, and although this story revolves around Avalon and Edmund, they are important too. So I figured it's time that they do. Please enjoy this slice of happiness.

Please **READ **and** REVIEW**!

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><p>There was nothing wrong with his collar, but Peter could not help folding it, and unfolding it, and folding it over and over again. After the tenth grunt and frustrated tugging, Edmund had enough of it.<p>

"It was fine twenty minutes ago and it's fine now so stop fidgeting!" He near-screamed at his brother, exasperated. Caspian looked on, clearly amused, as he buttoned the sleeves of his tunic and pulled it flat on his arm. After exchanging glares with his brother, Peter turned back to his reflection in the mirror and decided to work on his hair instead.

It was Peter and Lilliandil's wedding day. A big "FINALLY" was in certainly in order. Everything had been planned long ago, but because of the Marcu fiasco, Avalon's recovery and their spur-of-the-moment engagement, the royal couple decided to postpone the wedding until everything had settled down. After many months and much encouragement from their family, they decided it was as good a time as any.

They initially had a well-planned date, with seasons and weather factored in, but after a while, Lilliandil just did not care anymore. She just wanted to marry Peter. And Peter did not disagree.

So here they were today, to be married on the cliff outside Cair Paravel, overlooking the ocean and the grand expanse of Narnia. Peter eventually stopped bothering with his collar and simply looked toward the last row of chairs, smiling at each beloved friend who came to celebrate this momentous event with them. He knew he would not see his bride until it was the right time, but still. He would not miss the chance to see her, even if it was just the hem of her dress.

Peter has never felt more ready for anything. He should feel fear, should feel insecurity. Lilliandil is an amazing woman, as damn near perfection as anyone could be. She was supernatural entity, a star of that matter, and a kind hearted being. But Peter is a king, and a great one at them, and he knew in his heart that he will serve her well his whole life long. He knew he had it great, all hings considered. He did not have to worry about fortune or reputation. He was destined to have a good life. Peter almost cannot believe his luck.

Edmund brisk walked down the aisle, sparing a few seconds to nod at a friend or two, before taking his place by his brother's side.

"She will take your breath away." The dark-haired King whispered, pulling his blue tunic straight and flattening out the imaginary wrinkles. Peter let out a laugh.

"More than she usually does? Well, I might just die from lack of breathing." Peter gave a hearty chuckle that Edmund hardly recognized. The younger simply rolled his eyes.

"Usually, I'd tell you to shut it with that stuff, but it's your wedding day so you get a free pass." Edmund whispered quickly.

"Where was my free pass on my wedding day?!" Caspian hissed from behind the two Pevensies, causing them to jump. The Telmarine king laughed and stepped to the side of Edmund. It was Peter's turn to roll his eyes.

"Yes, well, you were marrying our sister. That would have been strange." Peter responded.

"Not to mention awkward." Edmund added.

"All forms of descriptive romantic sweetness towards our sisters should just be prohibited from our presence." Peter barked out, and Caspian could not hold the grin pulling at his lips.

Before their laughter could die down, the entrance march began to play. Peter felt his heart marching in his chest, threatening to break each rib. When he and Lilliandil picked out this song, it seemed beautiful then. Now, it was just an excruciatingly slow song that kept him from the woman he held most dear. He could not wait for the end.

Lucy entered, and she took Peter's breath away. Her growth seemed to stun him after all these year, all at once. In his mind, she has always been a chubby cheeked girl, with wide eyed wonder and spiteful wit. Peter did not recognize the woman who walked toward him. She was tall, lean, and remarkably beautiful. She walked such elegance, almost gliding down the aisle.

He felt a pang of hurt in his heart. Gone was the little girl who held him tight on cold evenings in the forest.

_"When did you get so grown up? You were our little girl. Now you are a Queen. I wanted to keep you safe forever." _He thought pressing a hand to his heart. Lucy looked intently at her brother and threw him a kiss. He returned the gesture with a wink.

Susan walked down the aisle next. The pain that erupted in Peter's chest was slightly more familiar this time. It was the same pain he felt when he gave her away on her wedding day.

Peter can't remember how she changed so much, and yet stayed the same through all these years. She had the same face, and the same height, and the same annoying intelligence. Yet, she was so different. Mature, and regal beyond what was humanly possible. It radiated off her, like warmth and light.

_"I wish you could see her now, Mum and Dad. You would have been so proud. She is so beautiful."_ Peter thought, remembering the parents they never saw again. It hurt him to give her away, an honnor that should have belonged to his father. It gave him sad pride to have raised and protected his siblings as best as he could have. Looking at Edmund beside him and his sisters from across the aisle, yes, he knew they had done the best they could possibly have.

Avalon came into view, a vision in blue and white. Peter thought she had never looked more serene. The smallest smile tugged at her mouth, and she kept her head down just so. For the first time since they met her, she had the poise and grace to complement her beauty. Peter turned to his brother.

Edmund was looking at Avalon, and she was looking him. By the quirk of his lip, Peter knew they were having one of those conversations they'd have just by looking at one another. Avalon's smile grew wider, and Peter felt like she was suppressing the urge to roll her eyes.

How did they lives become like this?

Before he could prepare himself, she was there. In all her pale, glowing beauty. Peter forgot how to breathe. It was like the world had run out of air and the only way he could live was staring at her. She was more beautiful; she was breath-taking.

"She's stunning." He heard Edmund whisper, but just barely. Peter thought he'd be more nervous, more afraid. But all he felt was peace, and a so much joy that his heart might just explode. He couldn't feel his face, but he knew he was smiling.

She was gliding towards him, slowly, in time with the music. It took everything he had to keep himslef from running down the aisle, picking her up and carrying her to the altar. It has taken many months, and a few tragedies, but they were finally here.

She was finally here.

Lilliandil stood before him. With shaking hands, Peter lifted her delicate white veil, revealing her face. After all this time, he still wasn't used to her beauty. He still wasn't used to having the air rush out of his lungs. Can he live his life having breath taken away?

Yes, he can.

They both turned to face their future together. She took her place beside him, and he felt pride in the knowledge that she will be there for the rest of their days.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: I know I went MIA again, but I haven't abandoned this story, so I hope you haven't either. Thanks for sticking with me. As usual, all reviews are lovely.

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><p>Of all the damned choices Avalon has recently made, the one that makes the least sense to her are the flowers.<p>

"Why in the world does it even matter?!" Avalon moaned, hiding her face and slouching deep into the plushy white chair she was sitting in. Susan was holding up two nearly identical white bouquets in each hand, and Lucy was beside her, holding two nearly ideantical red ones. To press her point, Avalon pulled her legs and skirts up, and tucked it underneath her. She was ball of cloth and frustration.

"Avalon, just pick one please." Susan tried to plead. Avalon immaturely stuck her tongue out and hid her face again.

"I don't understand why it's such a big deal. Honestly, I don't even remember the flowers _you _had during your wedding!" Avalon said, lightly banging her head against the seat. Susan locked her jaw to keep from yelling.

"They were tulips." She said, grinding her teeth.

"That's wonderful. And have tulips been relevant to the happiness of your marriage?!" Avalon said, getting to her feet and roughly brushing her skirts down. She absent-mindedly wished for the millionth time that she was wearing trousers.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have things prepared for a great wedding." Susan sets the flowers down and walks away, probably to busy herself with table arrangements. Avalon lets out a deep sigh, picks one bouquet without even looking at it and sits back down. Lucy takes it and gives her a small smile.

"I was hoping you'd pick these." Lucy said quietly, smiling at the flowers. Avalon peeks at her. For a second, she could almost see the little Lucy that her brothers talk about: youthful and radiating with wonder. Avalon felt herself soften.

"They're lovely." Avalon whispers, both embarrassed and glad she made the right choice. Lucy excuses herself to tell Susan that she had a chosen bouquet. Avalon remained seated, ashamed and confused as to why royalty was busying themselves with _her _wedding.

Then again, someone had to, seeing as neither she nor Edmund were particularly inerested.

Not even two months have passed since Peter and Lilliandil's wedding, Cair Paravel was preparing for another one. Soon, too soon for her taste, Edmund and Avalon shall be wed, forever bonded in holy matrimony.

Avalon could not bring herself to care about the preparations. She could hardly care about the dress, the seating arrangement, the flowers, the eating utensils. All she cared about was making it down the aisle and not screwing up their reign over Narnia.

The frustrated brunette was pulled from her thoughts when Trumpkin walted in, clanging from metal and sword.

"Lady Avalon." He bowed low, staring at her mockingly.

"I will cut you down, dwarf." She seethed, glaring at his helmeted head. When he did not rise from his humble stature, she lunged at him

They rolled and tumbled, and they only stopped because his helmet was poking her stomach. He pushed off her awkwardly, cautious of the expensive fabric and her female parts. Avalon sat up and pushed her ruin hair off her forehead, chuckling when it wouldn't stay put.

"King Edmund wishes to see you." Trupkin said, suppressing the laugh down his throat as he watched Avalon continue to wrestle with her fringe. Seeing that she was losing the battle, he patted her on the head and returned to his duties.

"Don't you ever 'Lady' me again!" Avalon yelled out before he was out of earshot.

"As my Lady commands!" comes his far off response.

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><p>Edmund was waiting for her by the stables. He was brushing the hair of his horse, a handsome dark stallion named Gaspard. Its eyes were fixated on her as she approached silently. She watched him stroke the gentle beast, muttering compliments under his breath. Her own horse, a dark brown beauty she calls Castella was saddled up and ready next to Gaspard. Avalon intentionally stepped on a small pile of stray hay to make her presence known. At the crunching sound, the dark-haired boy spun around quickly.<p>

The look of shock was immediately replaced with recognition, then relief, and Avalon insinctively got the sense that he was about to propose something he wasn't supposed to. Avalon gripped the nearest wooden post and leaned her shoulder against it.

"Please tell me you are not about to suggest what I think you will." she said, watching him saddle up Gaspard. He smirked, pulling the saddle into place with a grunt. Edmund did not answer right away, but the question hung in the air in a way that she knew he was not going to ignore her. When the reins were in place, and both horses were ready to go, Edmund turned to her with a serious expression.

"This time tomorrow, everything will be different. We will be the same, and yet nothing else will be." He said, a certain determination in his eyes, only hiding the anger brewing inside.

"For old times sake?" he asks hopefully, holding Castella's reins out to her. Avalon stared at the ropes in his outstretched hand, and back to him. It is rare to be aware of the exact moment of the end. Most important events in life happen without you knowing it. But to know it, to know how essential each breath and blink is, is a strange feeling. This was that moment. It was the very last page, and the last paragraph, of their lives as they knew it. And in that moment, Avalon felt absolute sadness. For them, for their future, for everything they were about to lose.

With a shaky breath, she took Castella's reins from him. In silence, they mounted their horses. Avalon looked at Edmund, and they exchanged a look. With a nod from Edmund, the best friends rode off into the twilight one last time.

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><p>The forest blended its shades of brown and emerald, becoming a hypnotic blur, as Emund and Avalon rushed by. The sound of the whizzing air blocked out the world, and Avalon heard nothing but the horses' hooves and the pounding of her heart. She emptied her mind of thought, focusing on the way the earth smelled as they brushed past. Edmund took the lead. All the while Avalon thought they were heading into town to wreck michievous havoc for a final time. But Edmund took a sharp turn, and taking her by surprise, led them down to the beach below Cair Paravel.<p>

When they reached the shore, Edmund hopped off his horse and proceeded to fold his trousers up. Avalon followed suit, guiding Castella and walking closely behind. In silence, they guided the two horses to a large fallen trunk lying in the middle of the beach, and anchored them there. Once Castella was securely fastened to the wood, Edmund pulled Avalon by the hand and dragged her to the ocean.

"Edmund, you little git!" She screamed as he gently pushed her into the water. A quarter of her dress was immediately soaked, and the damp fabric was uncomfortably sticking to her ankles.

"That's not fair. Your trousers are folded." She laughing said, scooping up the salty water and tossing it at him. Edmund tried to avoid the splash, but most of it landed squarely on his shirt anyway, drenching his crisp white tunic.

It wa slike they were children again, splashing in the ocean, chasing the tide excitedly and running away when it chased back. When they began shivering and itching from the cold salt water, they settled for jumping on the gigantic rocks on the corner of the beach, right below the cliff of Cair Paravel. The huge stones formed a miniscule mountain range, softened and curved out by the constant battery of the sea, until the water receeded and left it behind to rise above the sand. Edmund and Avalon hopped from one to the other, headed nowhere really. They climbed up to the largest, tallest one, and settled there as the stars began to reveal themselves.

The final specks of sunlight were descending below the ocean, dragging the curtain of night over Narnia. The two friends were exhausted. Avalon listened to Edmund's heavy breathing, pacing it with the blare of the ocean waves.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Avalon broke the silence. Despite the sound of the water and the hum of the night, the silence pressed upon them words tht were left unsaid. Edmund did not answer right away. She feared he wouldn't answer at all.

"I'm thinking about your mother. And your siblings." He said after the longest time. Avalon gave him an inquiring look, but he still did not look at her. "They would have liked it here. Charlotte and Lucy may have been good friends. We would have taken care of them." Edmund said, letting his thoughts out without filter.

Avalon thought of her family, and how things may have seemed brighter if they were with her.

"This time tomorrow, when the sun sets, everything will be different." His voice held no trace of humor, and his eyes were steadily looking off into the distance.

"We can keep saying that nothing will change, that wealready know each other and we already live together, but this is different. We will be wed. Nothing can prepare us for what that's really like. Certain things will be expected of us. We might even be different towards one another. Neither of us can truly say. But I just wanted us to have this last day. No matter how things will become, we will always have this." He said. Silence pressed upon them again. Avalon chewed on her bottom lip, searching for something to say. Perhaps, she thought, she'll just tell the truth.

"I'm afraid of the unknown," she breathed out. It was so soft that the words were almost blown away by the wind, "And tomorrow is the biggest one yet."

Edmund turned to face her, his fears reflected on her face. They did not want to think about how much tomorrow will change everything. Will they be happy? Will they fall in love? Will they have a family?They had made their choices, and tomorrow, they will both stand by their words for all etenity. A sad smile crept up on Avalon's lips as she firmly grapsed her best friend's hand in hers.

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><p>When Edmund returned Avalon to her chambers later that night, both of them felt a gigantic weight off their shoulders. Neither of them could stop the train impact that was surely to come tomorrow, but at least they now face it with resignation, and perhaps some hope. They have indulged their personal fears, but it is time to set it all aside for the greater good. That is, after all, what they have been trying to fight for tin the first place.<p>

Avalon awoke in the middle of the night, startled by the howling of the wind. Her window was open, the curtain violently flying about.

"Strange." Avalon thought. "I don't remember opening the window." Suspicion immediately gripped her as she reached for the dagger by her bedside. Avalon cautiously walked over to the window and inspected the balcony. There was nothing but the dark skies and th ivory moon. The rush of the ocean was the only sound to be heard. Avalon hastily closed the window and made her way back to her bed.

Avalon's heel landed on something hard and round, definitely not part of the flooring, causing her to fall. Pain shot up her leg as she crumpled to the floor, and the dagger was sent flying out her hand. Expletives were said as Avalon gripped her foot in her hand. When everything seemed to be in order, more expletives were said as she reached out for the source of her fall: a stone. Turning it over on her palm, Avalon examined the little thing in the moonlight pouring through the glass.

It was small and smooth, the kind used to skip over the water. Clumsily tied around it, was a plain string, pulled from simple fabric. The string was threaded through a small piece of parchment, a note for Avalon.

"They will not stop. You are not safe. -Trina"


End file.
